


The Alpha's Mate

by AlwaysWatching



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Knotting, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Possessive Behavior, Scent Kink, Scent Marking, Scenting, Sexism, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:08:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25267378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysWatching/pseuds/AlwaysWatching
Summary: How do I get here? I promised myself I'd never fall for an alpha.Especiallyone I was forced to marry. Laurence may have been nice and more respectful than I ever imagined an alpha could be, but he was still an alpha. He had all the possessiveness and unfortunately, an amazing scent that made me want to go limp on top of him andsubmitIt was a damn good thing that I had more dignity than that. If he wanted to be my mate, if he thought we could be together, then he'd have to earn his right to be bond me. I wasn't going to be an alpha's plaything. I was going to cling onto every last bit of power and control I had, and I wasn't going to give it up for the world. If he didn't like it, he'd just have to get over it. I was going to keep my freedom.And that was a promise.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 32
Kudos: 95





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [The Alpha's Mate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28768416) by [SweetLittleSpider](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetLittleSpider/pseuds/SweetLittleSpider)



I stared at myself in the mirror, almost not recognizing the person in its glass. It was like a new person was standing there. Where I was plain and unassuming, she was gorgeous. Her makeup was expertly applied and brought out the softness of her face. Soft gray eyes, normally so boring, looked bright and interesting. Ribbons were laced through her short brown hair, holding it in the complicated hairstyle it’d been forced into.

I hated all of it. 

The woman in the mirror wasn’t me. It was some artificial person made up to appeal to some stupid alpha that I didn’t even want to marry. The giant wedding dress only made me feel worse. It was overly ornate, and it made me feel like I was dragging a duvet with me everywhere I went. It was too damn hot for something this big too. 

I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists. I’d never even gotten the chance to meet the bastard before today. Some omegas were lucky enough to pick who they ended up with, but not me. My mother insisted that she had found the perfect alpha. Of course, perfect to her meant rich and high status. Maybe handsome if I was lucky. Personality never entered the equation.

How could she do this to me? I’d been telling her since I was old enough to know what being an omega meant that I wanted to work with her in her store. I didn’t want to be married. I wanted to be independent, to have my own life, and forge forward alone. All of that had been torn up in front of me in less than two weeks.

It was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Celeste, are you ready yet? The ceremony is due to start in five minutes!” my mother called from outside the room. She may as well have barged in. She’ already taken away my Independence; she may as well take away my dignity too.

“I’ll be out in five minutes,” I said.

“Celeste! Don’t be like that! Don’t you want to see him before you walk down the aisle? He’s very handsome!” she said. 

“What difference is that going to make?” I spat, unable to hide my irritation. “Seeing him five minutes before I have to isn’t going to change anything.”

She sighed, full of exacerbation and her own frustration. “You’ve never even met an alpha before. I don’t want you to be overwhelmed by him when you’re walking down the aisle. I’m only trying to help,” she said.

I tore my eyes away from the mirror and looked at the door, narrowing my eyes as I glare at the worn wood. “What would you even know? You’re a beta. No one is telling you to bond. Don’t tell me that you’re helping me by doing this!”

“I love you. I know this isn’t what you wanted, but it’s not so bad. He promised to treat you well and you’ll never have to work again! Think of all the time you’ll have to do whatever it is you want!”

She didn’t care. She really thought this was what was best for me. She’d probably thought it from the moment I was born. She always assumed that I would be happy to be sold off to some alpha. To be mated and never have to worry about anything but my mate for the rest of my life. How anyone could think of that and see it as a good thing was beyond me.

“Celeste can you at least-”

I cut her off. “Mother. Leave. Now. I’ll see you outside.

“There is only a two-”

“Leave!”

For a moment, I was afraid she wasn’t going to do it. I could nearly hear and her scolding me instead, telling me for the hundredth time that I should be grateful for everything that was happening. Thankfully, she only made a loud huff of annoyance before her footsteps faded away from the door.

I felt like crying, but I refused to let myself. It wouldn’t make me feel better and my mate wouldn’t’ care. He’d marry and bond me regardless of my thoughts on the matter. All of my things from my room had already been moved to his house in preparation for this day. There was no way out. Not anymore.

The minutes dragged on by and I counted them down in my head. They were going to be my last moments of solace before my life changed forever. When the last second ticked by, I steadied myself and opened the door. I traced my fingers over the walls as I made my way to the back door that went to the garden. It was somewhere I used to be at peace and happy, but of course, even it had to be corrupted by an alpha.

I stepped outside and squinted against the harshness of the sun. It was a hotter day than usual, proof that spring had long since fled and summer had taken its place. When my eyes adjusted to the harshness of light, I was greeted with the sight of two men standing next to a small podium. I saw my mother from the corner of my eye, standing slightly offset from the door, but I refused to acknowledge her. A long, thin red carpet was laid out on the grass, stopping at where the men stood. There was nothing out of the place. It was a relief to see. At the very least, my mate wasn’t the showy type.

Even better, he hadn’t brought any of his own family with him. I didn’t know if that meant he was a family black sheep or if there was simply bad blood between him and them. Either way, it made me happy. The fewer people who witnessed this sham of a marriage, the better.

“Celeste, honey you look gorgeous,” my mother whispered, stepping in front of me and putting her hands on my shoulder. “I’m so proud.”

“Mm.”

She frowned, but she didn’t try to argue. She would never when my future mate was right in front of me. I looked past her and at the man I was supposed to mate and the priest who’d run the ceremony. 

The priest was old, dressed in his traditional white garbs. His hair was thinning on the top of his head and he gestured constantly while talking to my future mate. He was a man who towered at least a head above the priest, and easily two above me. His black tuxedo fit his body perfectly and even though it wasn’t tight enough to show off all of his muscles, but there was still plenty on display. Sandy blond hair and clever blue eyes complimented the sharp features of his face and when he opened his mouth to make a joke, I saw his teeth were perfectly straight and white. He was the very definition of alpha that I’d heard so much about.

I hated him even more than I did before.

Halfway through answering a question the priest asked, my mate froze. His eyes slid shut and he tilted his head back like a dog that’d found an interesting scent. He stayed like that for a long moment, then whipped around to face me. “Hello dear, it’s nice to finally see you,” he said with a short bow. “My name is Laurence Abbot and I’m thrilled to meet you.”

“I don’t like you and I don’t want to do this,” I said.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “I promise you I’ll give you a good life. Why don’t you come here?” he asked.

He didn’t even care. I told him I didn’t want to marry him, and his response was simple, “I’m sorry?” I don’t know why I expected more. Of course, he wasn’t going to call things off because of that. “The ceremony hasn’t started yet,” I said. “I’m not coming closer until it does.”

My mother gasped. “Celeste! You-” 

“No, no. It’s fine,” the alpha interrupted. He turned towards the priest and gestured towards me. “Shall we?” he asked.

The priest cleared his throat and look around. He didn’t look comfortable, but he was likely no stranger to arranged marriages. He probably officiated a few that had gone worse than this. “Alright then. Please step forward Misses Astor,” the priest said.

Mrs. Astor. They’d already taken my last name from me. There wasn’t a ring on my finger of a bond mark on my neck and I was still attached to him. My stomach churned in disgust. Why couldn’t I have been born a beta? Beta women could work without a raised eyebrow. Why did I have to be an omega?

“Go on,” my mother nudged my back. “They’re waiting.”

This was it. I took my first step down the aisle with my head held high. My soon-to-be mate watched me with interest, but I found I preferred it to the pity that could have been there. At least he wasn’t going to pretend that he felt bad for me. As I got closer to him, I noticed the strangest scent saturating the air, standing in stark contrast to the smell of the flowers. It was musky and heavy. Strong. It made me think of hiding under the covers of my bed when I was young. When it seemed like my little fortress of blankets could keep me safe from anything. 

“I’m sure you already know my name but let me properly introduce myself still. You already know my name, so I’ll give you a bit of my history. I used to dabble in the coal industry, but now I simply provide others with advice for their own business ventures. For a price of course. My estate is around an hour north of here and is big enough to accommodate you as well as a few servants of mine. It’s a bit rural, but I’m sure you’ll find it adequate.”

I blinked in confusion. When had my feet stopped moving? When I had gotten so close to him? I wanted to stop as far as way as possible, but now I was only inches away from Laurence, staring up at him while he looked down on me. I took in a breath then shuddered when a wave of that delicious scent washed over me. It was fogging up my mind, making it incredibly hard to think, and there was an embarrassing heat pooling low in my stomach.

“Are you okay?” Laurence asked.

I snapped back to reality and staggered backward. Fuck. I know where that scent was coming from. It was him. He was an alpha. He had his own pheromones, ones that were supposed to be complementary to my own, that were supposed to draw me in and make me drop my guard whenever I was around him. I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, but he didn’t look affected in the slightest. He just looked smug.

The absolute bastard.

“Madame, if you’d please take your mate’s hands so we can continue?” the priest said.

Right the ceremony. I originally planned on refusing to draw out the ceremony for as long as possible, but with Laurence’s scent so heavy in the air, I couldn’t follow through. Every second spent inhaling it was another second he was getting the better than me. It was better to get this done as fast as possible.

I reached and took his hands. They were so massive in my own, dwarfing them easily. It felt like lightning was running from where we were touching to every part of me. It made me want to get closer, to press myself against his chest and find out what more contact would do.

“You didn’t tell me your name,” he said. “Remind me?”

“Why? You should already know it?” I said, looking away from him and to the clouds overhead. My cheeks burned hot and I suddenly wished I hadn’t cropped my hair so short for the summer. At least when it was longer, I could hide behind it. Now, there was nothing to stop him from seeking the bright blush that stained my cheeks.

“I do, but don’t you tell me anyway?”

“No. You already know it. I’m not telling you. Can we- I just want to get this over with.”

He smiled, wide and bright, and I did my best not to look confused. What was with this man? How could he be so nonchalant about all of this? Did he even care about being mated or did he enjoy the suffering that he was causing me? 

“Fine, if you insist.’ He dropped one of my hands and reached into his pocket, then pulled out a small box coated with black velvet. “I’ll make you a deal. I will only ever ask three things of you. One is that you move in with me, two is that you wear my ring, and three is that you allow me to scent mark you at least once a day. Everything else will be up to you.”

“Scent mark?” I asked confused. I knew alphas and omegas had pheromones, but I’d never met another of my kind in my life. I had never heard the term. However, despite my confusion, a force in the back of my head seemed to know exactly what he was talking about it. It came alive, urging me to step closer again and tilt my head to give him access to my throat.

I ignored the urge.

“Yes, it’s really simple and can be done in a variety of ways. All that it requires is that we touch one another for a minute or so. There are more effective ways to do it, but simply touching is enough.”

“We only have to touch?” I asked skeptically. “Why do I feel like you’re lying to me?”

“I’ll never lie to you. I have no need to,” he replied. “So, what do you say? Do you agree to my terms?” he asked. Looking down at me like a wolf who cornered its prey.

I tried to look away again, but for some reason, I found myself unable. Which was extremely inconvenient, because it was so hard to think when he was looking at me like that. Unconsciously, I pressed my thighs together, barely stopping myself from rubbing them together. The heat from before was only growing worse and worse and his scent more appealing.

“Wait, you didn’t say you were going to bond me in those three things. You’re already lying,” I said. 

“No, I won’t bond you unless you want me to. We will be mated in law only until you want to move forward.”

“And if I never do?”

He shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

It was a pathetic non-answer, but it was all I had to work with. He didn’t seem like he was being dishonest, but I was never good at picking up on lies. However, if we were going to be mated, I’d accept the promise. It wasn’t much, but it could serve as another layer between us.

“Fine,” I said quickly. “I agree. But I’m only doing those three things and I want this in writing when it’s convenient.”

He smiled and shook his head in disbelief. “You really are something. If you insist though, I will have it written up when we return to my estate. Now-” he popped open the lid of the box with his thumb and exposed a pair of simple gold rings. “-Please allow me to put this on you.”

“Isn’t the priest supposed to say some words before you do?” I said.

“We’re already having a very informal ceremony, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind skipping some parts. Do you?” Laurence asked, looking at the priest.

“No, I’m here to give you god’s blessing. You can proceed however you wish,” the priest said. “Young people these days don’t seem to care about tradition anyway.”

We’re only here because of tradition you idiot. Marriage is a ceremony made by the church in case you forgot, I thought.

“So, will you wear my ring?” Laurence asked again.

“Fine. Put it on,” I said.

He lifted the hand he was still holding high in the air before running his fingers over the back of it. I bit my lip to stop from making any noises. A simple touch shouldn’t leave fire in its wake, but his did. It was like my body had decided to betray me in every way it could.

In a smooth motion, he slipped the ring down on my ring finger, twisting it around once so it reflected some of the sunlight from overhead. “Beautiful,” he said. He turned my hand over and place the box in my pal, then reached out his other hand. “Your turn darling.”

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped, ignoring the embarrassing flare of lust that came from the pet name. 

“If you’re sure.”

“Why are you making this difficult,” I complained, plucking the ring out of the box.

“I’m making this difficult?” he said, raising a brow. “Are you sure about that?”

I let the box tumble to the floor and grabbed his hand, yanking him forward as I pressed the ring onto it. My tug hardly moved him, only managing to force him an inch closer. Still, I was happy I moved him at all. As soon as I was sure the ring was secure on his finger, I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest. He ignored me and lifted his hand up. inspecting the ring that now adorned his finger. He twisted his hand around, looking at the object from every angle, as if he’d never seen it before, before finally dropping it and turning to the priest.

“I’m sorry dragging you here. I didn’t realize the ceremony would end up like this. Would you still like to say a few words?” Laurence asked.

“I-”

“No, I don’t want to hear him say anything,” I cut in. 

“Really? You won’t let the poor man speak? How cruel!” he said, putting a hand over his heart.

“You told me that you’d do whatever I wanted,” I retorted.

“Correction, I told you everything except my three requests would be up to you. The implication was in our relationship,” he said.

“You should’ve said that if you wanted it to be taken that way then.”

He tossed back his head and laughed. It was a musical sound, one that I’d never expected to here and a part of me very much liked it. Another part of me despised that I liked it.

Lord, why could things never be easy?

Laurence turned to the priest and held up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry It looks like my mate doesn’t want you to speak. I promise I’ll still make a donation to the church, but my hands are tied on anything else.”

The priest looked back and forth between me and Laurence in disbelief. “I- if you insist, then I can remain silent sir.”

“Excellent. Again, I apologize,” he said. Laurence turned back to me. “Now, shall we finish this? All that is left is the scent marking.”

“Let’s get it over with,” I said.

He smiled and slowly stepped forward, approaching me as if I was a wild animal. I held my ground and kept my arms crossed, glaring at him, and daring him to come closer. He accepted the challenge and in one huge step, was right in front of me, staring down at me but still not touching.

“A simple hug will be enough for this,” Laurence said. “Would that be okay?”

I was struck by how much power he was allowed or at least pretended to allow, me to have. If I rejected the hug, told him I didn’t want to, then I was sure he’d think of another way to do it. However, I found myself not really wanting to reject it. He was annoying and dragging me away from my life, but he seemed more thrilled by my personality than put off and so far, he’d listened to me perfectly. I could give him this. 

And touching alpha would feel good. His scent is nice, a voice whispered in my head.

“Yes,” I said dropping my arms down to my sides. “We can.”

At once he wrapped his around me and pulled me flush against his chest with his chin resting on top of my head. I wanted to snap at him to back off, but my next breath brought a tidal wave of his scent and I drowned beneath it. I should’ve taken my mother’s advice and came out and meet him earlier. Maybe then I could’ve resisted the siren’s call of his pheromones.

Before I could think about it, I pressed myself closer to him, taking greedy lungful’s of his scent and letting all my other thoughts drift away. I didn’t understand how I was so mad at him in the first place. His arms around me and his scent covering me made me feel safe and protected like there was nothing in the world that could hurt me. All the bad feelings from the day melted away until I was left in a comfortable bubble of bliss.

It popped when his hand snaked up and squeezed the back of my neck gently.

A sharp gasp tore its way out of my throat and the lust that I’d managed to put away so far flared back to life. His thumb traced circle over my mating gland, the most sensitive part of my neck and I’d never felt something so good. His scent, once comforting and warm, now filled me to the brim with a desire I didn’t want to give a name to. Slick built between my legs and I was torn between trying to get closer and pulling away.

Thankfully, the choice was made for me. 

He stepped back, placing his hands on my shoulders so that I didn’t fall, and looked down at me with something that almost looked like affection.

“Ready to go home?” he asked.

I nodded weakly.


	2. Chapter 2

The carriage moved swiftly, allowing wind to rush through my hair and giving me space to breathe. Even since he scented me, there was an itch under my skin that I couldn’t seem to get rid of. Sitting so close to him wasn’t helping it go away any faster. His scent was still overpowering, and I was terrified that I’d never get used to it.

“You smell like stress and despair,” Laurence said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What is there to talk about?” I said, crossing my arms and looking out at the passing countryside. “You said that I’d have the choice of what happened between us. I’m invoking that now. Don’t talk to me unless I say something to you first,” I ordered.

His eyes burned into me, but I didn’t turn to meet them. Not when I was like this. Not when I was fresh of the humiliation of surrendering to him because of one simple hug. At least he said the house was big. It’d be easy to avoid him there. If he tried to get me to share a bed with him, I’d refuse. I’d rather sleep where the servants did than ever let myself be so vulnerable around him.

Laurence finally looked away from me and started humming to himself, leaving me to my thoughts. They drifted back to my mother. Our goodbye had been short and clipped, lacing in their usual affection. I hadn’t planned on hugging her, but she had pulled me into her arms before I could stop her. When I pulled away, she looked sad, but I didn’t see a hint of regret. 

It was the bitterest pill I had to swallow that day.

“You know-”

“What part of ‘don’t talk to me’ is hard to understand,” I growled, still refusing to look at him.

He sighed, but the noise sounded more amused than annoyed, which only made me angrier. He was so _patronizing_. He must’ve been used to having everything go his way. I was probably the first person he’d truly argued within years. He was a fat cat aristocrat, no doubt born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a family that catered to his every whim. We weren’t going to get along. Even if he smelled like all the best things in life and had a body that wasn’t at all hard on the eyes.

“Alright. I won’t talk to you,” he said.

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up!” I shouted, whipping my head to the side to face him.

He looked at me with a perfect smile and clever eyes, like this was his plan all along. To get me to talk to him so he had an excuse to run his mouth even more. My eyes flicked down to his lips and I noticed how soft they looked. I imagined punching them. Making them swollen and ugly. 

It was a nice thought.

“I’m sorry, I was just acknowledging what you said,” he said.

“Do you think you’re clever? Do you like to annoy me?” I asked. 

“Can I choose not to answer the question?” he replied.

“Why are you so-” I grit my teeth, unwilling to finish the insult. There was rude and there was crossing a line. Like it or not, he had power over me and now, and no matter how much he promised he wasn’t going to abuse it, I should be careful.

“So…what? You can finish what you were saying. I’m not going to police your language.”

“Why are you such a cunt,” I spat.

He went silent, tilting his head to look at me like I’d lost my mind. He didn’t look angry though. A burst of rage overtook me, and I lunged forward, intent on hitting him, but the wheel of a carriage hit a bump in the road and threw me off balance in the middle of my lunge. I ended up with my chest on his lap, clinging desperately on to the back seat so I wasn’t jostled around anymore. He gathered up the reins in one hand, while his other pressed gently down on my back, pinning me in place. I was glad it was there when we hit another bump.

“I’m a cunt? Strong language from a lady. Where did they teach you that?” he asked.

I heard him, but the words went in one ear and out the other. My nose was once again close to his body and his scent once again was overtaking me, forcing some of the rage I had before to disappear. Slowly, my grip on the seat relaxed and I let myself go limp in his lap, trusting him to stop me from falling out of the carriage.

“May I touch you?” he asked.

“Not any more than you already are you prick.”

“You’re very confusing,” he said. “You make it seem like you hate me, but now you’re lying on my lap. I’m getting mixed messages”

“I do hate you,” I mumbled, pressing my nose into his stomach. God, why did he have to smell so good? It was like with every breath I found something new to admire. I could let myself enjoy this. If I was going to be stuck with him then there was no reason not to take advantage of it. May as well make myself comfortable.

The rest of the ride past just like that, half my chest and my head in his lap while the carriage bounced along the road. The whole time, he kept his promise of not touching me and not speaking. If I was more aware and not so drunk on his scent, I might have been impressed, but as it was, I was fighting off the urge to sleep.

“We’re here,” he said. The carriage jerked to a stop. “You are free to get out here, or you can come with me while I put the horses back in the stable.”

“You’re rich though, don’t you have servants for that?” I said.

He laughed again and the noise had me snuggling closer. It was just so honest, so vulnerable, that it was hard to even believe it came from the man underneath me. How could someone willing to marry me against my will laugh like that?”

“I do, but I sent them to the city for a day out. I didn’t want to overwhelm you on your first night here. Now, would you like to get up, or are you going to come with me?”

I dragged my head off from his lap, escaping the trap of his scent and blinking my eyes sleepily as the world came back into focus. The euphoria of being so closer to him began to drain and in its place was a growing dread. I’d done it again. I’d let myself be close to him and liked every single second of it.

There was no way I could allow that. I refused to like the man who all but kidnapped me.

Without another word, I stepped out of the carriage, stumbling due to the weight of my dress for a moment before I caught myself. I couldn’t wait to take the thing off. 

Laurence looked on concerned.

“Go put away your horses. I’m going to my room. Do not disturb me,” I said. 

He sighed and for the first time today, I saw him look disappoints. I waited for the moment of satisfaction that should’ve accompanied my victory, but it never came. In its place was an acute sense of stress. One that made no damn sense. The only thing I liked about this man was his scent, so why did I care if I made him unhappy? He didn’t care when he dragged me away.

“Youre rooms are-”

“Didn’t I tell you not to talk to me?”

That got him. His lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes narrowed. My stress rose and I felt myself almost panicking. God, what in the hell was wrong with me? 

His eyes lingered on me for a second longer and sighed, before he again urged the horses away, driving them towards the large stable I could see in the distance. With him gone, I finally turned to look back at his house. It was large but not as massive as some of the other aristocrat’s estates I’d seen. Once again, I was glad he possessed some restrain. It was painted white and looked to be about two stories, but the top floor could’ve easily been an attic and I had no idea if it had a basement. A porch dominated the front side, decorated by several rocking chairs and small side tables beside them. 

To the sides of the porch grew a sea of different flowers, all of them pressed close to the house. It was a strange looking garden, much longer than it was wide, but I had to admit that it was beautiful. I’d never seen so many different flowers in one place. I wondered if the garden stretched all the way around the house, but right now, I was too tired to look. There was always tomorrow to explore.

I walked up the steps and opened the door, stepping into what appeared to be the living room. It was decorated simply, two large couches and a few chairs scattered bout. Pressed against the walls though, were huge bookcases with every inch of shelf space occupied. I wondered if they were just for show. 

To the right, the room faded into the kitchen, and straight ahead it faded into a dining room. A large staircase was set on the left wall and I was surprised that it went both up and down. However, that answered the question of where the servants lived.

As I walked around, I notice that the faint scent of Laurence had settled throughout the house. All his other servants must’ve been betas, which wasn’t surprising. There was no such thing as an omega servant, not when we were so sought after. There also wasn’t an alpha in the world, no matter how poor, would ever allow themselves to be ordered around like a servant did.

After I finished my first circuit, I started another one and began running my hands over tables, chairs, and countertops, hoping that my scent would soak into the house as deeply as his had. It wasn’t that I liked how our scents mixed and combined. No. It was about marking my own territory. Stating that, if I was to live here, then this space was going to be just as much mine as it was his.

Once I was satisfied I made my impression, I headed up the stairs, not bothering to investigate downstairs. That could come later. For now, I just wanted to lay in my bed and rest. Thankfully, my room was easy to find. It was the only thing upstairs that bore my scent. When I found the door to it and opened it, I frowned. It didn’t look anything like my room had been at home. It was too big and the bed in the center of the room was far too huge to be anything I would ever own. A few windows let in light from outside, but I was quick to close them and plunge the room in darkness. After that, I locked my door. At least in the darkness, I could trick myself into feeling at home.

I tore off my dress and discarded it on the floor. I would’ve liked to burn it. It would’ve been fitting for the garment. I was certain that I would never wear it again for as long as I lived and if it sat in my closet, it would only serve as a reminder of my newfound helplessness.

I dragged myself over to my bed and collapsed into it, sinking into the soft mattress. I fumbled for a pillow then brought one to my face and screamed into it, putting all my frustration and unhappiness into the muffled cry. Everything was so damn _unfair_. Why, out of all people, did I have to be born an omega? Why couldn’t I have been beta? If I was, I wouldn’t have to fight this damn urge to find Laurence and bury my head into his neck or deal with the obnoxious heat in my stomach that he inspired.

 _Touching yourself would help_ , some traitorous part of me whispered. _You always do it when you’re stressed. This is your home now. Are you really going to live so afraid? You’re in your room. The door is locked. You’re safe._

_Just give in._

I hissed and threw the pillow against the wall, but it didn’t make me feel better. I considered screaming again, but if it didn’t work the first time, then I doubted the second go would be any better. I ran my hands over my body and shivered. If I was going to do this, I was going to make it fast and dirty. Straight to the point. This was about relieving stress, not pleasure

I shoved a hand between my legs and rubbed over my panties. They were already soaked with slick, evidence of the effect Laurence’s scent had on me and further proof of my weakness. I ignored the shame and pressed harder, biting my lip to stop myself from making noise. Even the slightest bit of pressure from my fingers felt so damn good. Some of the tension drained from my shoulders and I pressed down harder, starting to rub slow circles. The pressure was exquisite, and I squeezed my eyes and legs together tightly. This shouldn’t have been different for the hundreds of other times I’d gotten off, but it very much was.

I tore off my underwear and spread my legs wide, letting my head loll back as my fingers quickly found my clit. It was already engorged and so, so sensitive. When I tried to give it my typical treatment, I found it wasn’t enough. I pressed harder, got rougher, and started anew circling it with a ferocity that I usually reserved for my heats. Still, though, it wasn’t enough. It felt like something was missing. No matter how hard I rubbed, my climax never seemed to get any closer.

I swapped strategies, leaving only my thumb on my clit while I pressed the rest of my fingers deep inside of my cunt. It was too much all at once and the stretch bordered painful, but some of the relief I’d been searching for came as soon as they were sheathed inside of me. I let out, loud, a shameless moan. There was no one else in the house and Laurence was still putting the horses away. I could be as loud as I wanted. 

My thumb went back to work on my clit while my fingers clumsily thrust in and of me. This by far, was my least favorite way to get off. I usually didn’t like things inside of me. It was something I usually reserved for my heats when the need to be filled overwhelmed anything else. It felt so damn good this time too and it was scratching that itch, letting me feel good. Just a bit more and I-

“Oh fuck,” I gasped, my fingers brushing past a spot inside of me that I was so rarely able to find. I wasted no time finding it again, and pressed all my fingers against it, bucking and grinding my hips up into my fingers to get more. My free hand went under my bra, and I plucked and twisted one of my nipples harshly, toying within my favorite way. The mix of sensations was driving me closer and closer to my peak and I could almost taste it, almost feel the sweet relief that would follow it.

But I couldn’t get off that ledge.

What do I need? Why won’t this work? This has always worked, even in my heats. Why the fuck is this time different, why can’t I do this? What the fuck did Laurence do to me?

Laurence.

Alpha.

My mind latched onto the idea and before I could even think, I was standing up from my bed and walking back over to where I discarded my wedding dress. I picked it up and pressed it to my nose, almost melting in relief when I caught Laurence’s scent soaked into the fabric. I took another deep and inhale and started moving my hand again. The sensations firing off within me felt like they’d been magnified tenfold. Apparently, I needed his scent. Needed the way it made my mind hot and heavy and my body feel like it was on fire. It was the missing piece. What I needed to feel good.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck. So close, just a little more, just a little-_

“Celeste? Are you in there?” Laurence called through the door.

I froze.


	3. Chapter 3

All the momentum I built, that sweet sweet pressure that I’d been literal seconds away from achieving, drained away, slipping out of my grasp like sand. An involuntary growl poured out of my throat and I stormed over to my closet and door and grabbed the first thing that would cover me. A soft, withe bathrobe was m first option and I threw it on through clenched teeth. I was going to kill him. Why did he have to hover? Why couldn’t he just leave me alone?

“I hear something in there so if you’re not-

I walked to the door and yanked it open, my chest heaving, and my eyes narrowed. “You-” I said, shoving a finger into his chest. “-Need to leave. I don’t know how many times I need to say leave me alone before it gets through that thick head of yours, but I want _nothing_ from you! Am I clear?” I shouted.

Laurence didn’t respond, choosing instead to sniff the air. His eyes flashed with hunger and his posture changed. He stood up straighter, crossed his arms, and stepped closer so the difference in our height was even more pronounced. A thrill of something I didn’t want to think about raced through me at the casual display of dominance, even as the rational part of me wanted to punch him in the face for it.

“I was only telling you dinner was ready,” he said. “I see now that you’re…busy though.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

He looked taken aback for all of one second before he lowered and put his lips right next to my neck. My spine stiffened with the proximity, but I refused to take a step back. I was going to hold my ground even if it killed me. 

“Are you sure you want to go there? We can if you want, but I thought you didn’t want to talk to me,” he said.

“I want to know what you’re thinking about me, so I could make sure you get it right,” I said. 

“So, you want me to say it then?”

“Say _what?_ ”

“You were touching yourself,” he stated like it was a fact as mundane as water being wet or the sky being blue. “I can smell your slick. Do you even realize how good you smell right now? I’ve been trying to hold back and be polite, but I’m starting to think that that’s not what you want.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, I said, looking straight ahead and refusing to look at his face. His scent was once again clouding my senses, but now there was something extra. Something that wasn’t there before. It was hungry and deep. It drew me and made me want to continue the conversation rather than back away and tell him to fuck off.

“Show me your hands then,” he said. 

“Why should I do what you tell me,” I replied, more breathlessly than I intended.

He chuckled and stood back up, giving me space, and letting me breathe. “Celeste,” he said. “ _Look at me_.”

I couldn’t resist. There was something in his tone, something that made my eyes snap to his like I was possessed. His eyes were dilated, showing his lust, but he was keeping his face carefully neutral. I wanted to step back and slam the door in his face, but that would mean I wouldn’t be looking at him anymore and right now I couldn’t fathom the thought.

“What do you want Celeste?”

What did I want? Shouldn’t it have been obvious? I’d been screaming at him to go away all day, but now he was acting confused? I opened my mouth to retort, but nothing came out. It was like I couldn’t conjure the words to reject him. Here, in the quiet of the house, with him just inches away, my body was flooding me with a whole different type of want. 

“I’ve already told you what I wanted,” I said. “There is nothing else to say.”

“Are you sure? I promised things would be up to you. I am more than happy to make good on that claim,” he said. “So, I’ll ask it again, is there something you want?”

There was and he knew it, but it wasn’t me who wanted. It was just my body. My body demanding something didn’t mean I had to give in. It was my choice and I wasn’t about to let some smarmy, asshole alpha make me do anything.

“Actually, yes. There is something you can do for me,” I said, the perfect idea coming to me. “You said you’d write up that very promise in a contract, but I haven’t seen it yet. I want you to go write it up.”

Laurence didn’t reply immediately. We stood for a long moment in silence, sizing one another up in a battle of wills, before his shoulders deflated slightly and he stepped back with a smile. “Of course. We can sign it after dinner if you’d like. We can do it now too, but I’m hungry and I’m pretty sure you are too.

I was about to say no, but then my stomach growled and gave me away. Laurence grinned in triumph, but I rolled my eyes. I may as well eat. Maybe with food in my belly, I’ll feel better. “Fine. Let me get changed,” I said.

“Sure. I’ll-

I slammed the door shut in his face and whirled away, opening my closet back up and fishing out a long nightgown. It was getting late and I was too tired for anything more complicated. It was made of silk and when I put it on, I had to admit it was comfortable. 

I exited the room and found Laurence at the top of the stairs. He gestured for me to follow and guided me back down the stairs and to the dining room. At once, a delicious smell that for once wasn’t Laurence filled my nose. My stomach rumbled again, and Laurence tossed a smug look back my way.

“While you were busy, I went ahead and prepared our meal. When we’re finished eating, you can come to my office and we will deal with the contract, for now, I hope you like steak and potatoes.”

What? He’d had all that time to cook while I was in my room? Had I really been in there that long? It didn’t feel like it, but it wasn’t like I was staring at a clock either. 

“I’m surprised you’ve been in the kitchen for any other reason than just to complain,” I said

“You have such low expectations of me. I may be wealthy, but I’m not arrogant.”

 _I beg to differ_ , I thought.

We entered the dining room and approached a table so large that it looked fit for a king rather than one man. Laurence pulled out a chair at the head of the table and gestured for me to sit. I thought about denying him again, just to get under his skin, but a plate with a silver dome covering it was already there, and my stomach was doing everything I could to remind me of just how hungry I was. 

I slid into the seat and he stepped back, rounding the table and sitting down at the very front of it. It was obvious that he was trying to assert his power over me. Show me that, even if he would supposedly give me whatever I wanted, he was still in charge. I could correct that.

“Swap seats with me,” I said, standing back up from my chair. “I want to be at the head of the table.”

He shot me a questioning look. “I didn’t realize things like that mattered to you.”

“They don’t,” I said. “But I want to sit there. Make good on your promise.”

“Of course,” he said, rising from his chair and stepped back to offer it to me. We traded seats and without asking if he was ready, I took the silver dome off my plate. Underneath were a large steak and potatoes. Both looked like they were cooked to perfection. I grabbed my form and knife and cut myself a bite and was disappointed to find that they were just as good as they looked.

Unbelievable.

“Since we rushed down here, I didn’t get the chance to offer you a drink,” Laurence said, taking another bite of his food. “Would you like wine or water?”

“Both,” I answered. I got the worst hangovers if I didn’t get enough water. 

“I’ll be right back.” He stood up from his chair and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me alone to my thoughts. A minute later, he returned with a bottle of wine and four glasses, two of which were filled to the brim with water. He set them on the table, then poured me a glass of wine before he sat back down. “So, what do you think of your new home?”

“I don’t care about it,” I said.

He shrugged. “Indifference is better than hatred. Do you at least enjoy the food?” he asked.

I considered lying, but it seemed pointless. If the food was bad, I would’ve already complained about it. I had a strong suspicion he knew that.

“It’s okay,” I admitted. 

“I’m glad, I think this wine pairs well with it personally,” he said, picking up his glass and taking a long drink.

God, this whole dinner was an awkward nightmare. The only thing that stopped me from getting up and leaving was the food and wine in front of me. I picked up my glass swallowed half of it down in one long gulp, ignoring the flavor and only focusing on the burn as it went down. It was petty, but I wasn’t going to spend the entire meal complimenting his choice of wine and his cooking. He should’ve known that.

The rest of dinner was completed in silence and before I knew it, we were finished. Laurene stood up and collected the dishes, depositing them back in the kitchen. I poured myself another glass of wine and drank it, enjoying the pleasant tipsiness that was starting to fall over me. The alcohol made me feel much more at ease and I almost wanted to thank him for providing it.

“We can take care of the contract now. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes,” he called from the kitchen. “My office is upstairs. The first door on the right. I’ll meet you up there.”

I picked up my wine glass, then moved back up the stairs, admiring the way that he shadows in the house were growing deeper and longer. There weren’t too many windows in the house since too many would’ve made it too hot, but I was glad for it. If there were more, the shadows would’ve been far less interesting. 

I supposed that not everything in the house was bad.

“Celeste? Are you alright?” Laurence said from behind me.

I turned and saw him looking at me, his head tilted to the side, his eyes occasionally darting to somewhere else in the room to try and figure out what I was looking at. I took another gulp of wine and took the moment to admire him as well. He’d stepped right into one of the growing shadows and it cast the bottom half of his body in shadow while the upper half remained in the light. It was strangely beautiful.

“I was just thinking about shadows,” I said, my lips loose from the wine. “They’re pretty.”

“Oh,” he said. He looked over the room again, but I knew that he wasn’t seeing the same beauty that I was. 

“Yes, I think so, but that’s not important. We have a contract to sign,” I said, whipping back around and heading up the stairs.

When I pushed open the door to his office, I was struck by the strength of his scent in the room. He’d spent so much time here that it’d thoroughly soaked through every inch of the room. I closed my eyes, not even bothering to look at the room and drank it in. It made all the hair on my body stay at end. It felt like I walked into a predator’s den but rather than feeling scared, I simply felt exhilarated.

“You can sit down you know,” Laurence informed me, stepping into the room behind me and shutting the door. He brushed past me and settled behind the huge oak desk that took up the center of the room.

“You can sit you know. That’s why I have chairs here. Or you can look at my books if that’s what you’re doing. This is going to be quick anyway.”

Books? I looked around the room and nearly slapped myself. How had I not noticed that there were even more bookshelves here? It was like the man’s entire house was a library. I inspected the spines and found that most of them looked well worn. Maybe he really did read all the books he had. I traced my fingers over the spines and pulled one out, squinting at the title. It was in a language I didn’t understand, but the symbols looked east Asian.

“You can read Chinese?” I asked, taking a guess at the language.

“Japanese, but they use a lot of the same characters,” he informed me.

“You’ve read all these?” I asked.

“Yes, I try to make a habit of it. Feel free to take any you want. I’ll even teach you Japanese if you’d like. I also speak Spanish if that’s more your taste.”

A strange, unnamable feeling spread through me, one that I couldn’t say I enjoyed. Why was he so nice? I’d only known him for a day, but he was nothing like the alphas I’d heard about and better than most of the beats I’d encountered. It was almost like he was perfect, even though I knew that that was far from the truth.

“What’s your problem?” I asked.

He looked up from the paper he’d been writing, looking confused. “Pardon?”

“You’re too perfect. You’re hiding something,” I accused. “

“I- is that a compliment? You think I’m perfect?” he asked. A devilishness replacing his confusion. “Is that why you hate me?”

“I don’t hate you,” I said. It was a clear indication that I must’ve been drunk because I definitely did hate him. It was just the alcohol making me nicer than I really was. “No, I’m sorry, I do hate you,” I corrected. “That was a slip of the tongue.”

“Sure, I understand,” he said. “To answer your question, I’m not perfect. I’ve been on my best behavior today.”

“Oh, so you’ve been lying to me this whole time?” I asked, taking a step closer to the desk. “Thinking you can woo the helpless omega by being kind? Is that what this is?”

“Celeste, I’m not trying to manipulate you. I just want you to be happy,” he said, the smile falling from his lips.

“Then I want to work,” I said. “I want a job and I want to do things. I’m not going to sit in your house and raise children.”

Laurence pressed his lips together in a thin line. “I can try to find you something. If you’d like, you could help me with my work, but I don’t think you can just get a job alone. That’s not how that works.”

“Why? Because I’m an omega?”

“Yes,” he said. “In my house, we’re equals, but out there, you know it’s different.”

“Beta women work,” I said.

“I know, but omega women don’t. I’ve never seen one and no one will hire you,” he said. “I don’t think I can give you that.”

My shoulders dropped. I knew he was right, but that did nothing for the burning frustration within me. No matter how good he was going to be to me or how nice he was, I’d still lost my freedom.

“You can’t give me what I want then. You can be nice all you want, but you took the one thing I valued the most and I won’t forgive you for it.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wish it was different, but it’s not. There is nothing I can do to change that either. I can only offer you what I can. Isn’t that enough?” he asked.

“No.”

Silence. The buzz from my alcohol was still going strong, but rather than the joy and relaxation it’d given me before, it now made my body feel heavy and my thoughts dark.

Laurence’s chair scraped across the ground and I heard him standing up, but I didn’t move my eyes from the ground. It felt like I was rooted to the ground like a tree. Like any movement would require a herculean effort. Laurence settled somewhere in front of me, but he didn’t move to touch me.

“Celeste, can I hug you?” he asked.

Could he? There was no reason to let him. He was the reason I was here in the first place. The reason everything Had gone so wrong. However, a part of me, the part that was wholly omega wanted the comfort badly. Physical contact was a constant craving of mine, one I’d never found a good solution for it. 

_Once isn’t bad_ , I thought. _I’ll let him hug me this once_.

“Fine,” I said.

His arms coiled around me and pulled me into his chest just as he’d done before. His arms felt huge around me. I imagined them shielding me from the world and all the worst parts of it. I burrowed my head into his shoulder and sighed, letting his comforting scent wash over me. This was nice. There was no need to lie about it. He may have been awful in his own right, but the hugs and hi scent were good. If only I could have them without the person they were attached to, 

“You smell good,” Laurence said. His hands moved to my back and rubbed comforting circles over my robe. “I like holding you.”

I couldn’t’ find the words to reply. Everything I could’ve said would’ve been inadequate to capture how I felt. Tears built behind my eyes, but I refused to let them out. I’d let him hold me now, allow myself to feel his comfort, but I’d keep my tears to myself.

He hadn’t earned them.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up and for a moment, I was confused about where I was. My surroundings were unfamiliar and even if the bed I was on was comfortable, that wasn’t enough for me to not panic. I shot up in my bed and almost screamed until my brain caught up with what was going on.

I was in Laurence’s house. In my new room. Everything was fine. I was safe. Nothing was coming.

Knowing that did nothing stop the pounding of my heart.

I threw my head into my hands in groaned aloud. My throat was dry, and my head hurt. I wanted to crawl back under my covers and never come out. I would’ve too if I thought I could fall back to sleep.

Memories of last night trickled back to me, but only key moments. I remembered Laurence pulling me into a hug and rubbing my back, but after that everything collapsed into a haze of scent and emotion. Laurence must’ve led me back to my room at some point and put me in my bed. It shouldn’t have been a comforting thought. Having an alpha that close when I was that vulnerable was the stuff of nightmares, but my body and instincts didn’t agree.

I turned my head and pressed my nose into my shoulder to smell myself. I cringed when I found the scent of Laurence. We must’ve been touching for longer than I thought. Still dressed in my nightgown from last night, I exited the room and went to the bathroom.

It might have been my favorite room in the house. In it, was a bathtub, larger than any I’d ever seen in my life. I wanted to think of it as a waste of money, but the idea of being totally submerged in hot water was too good to pass up. I turned the tap and started filling it with water than stripped out of my nightgown and tossed it to the floor. It, like my wedding dress, smelled too much like Laurence. I was going to have to figure out what to about that.

I got in the bath after it was full and laid there for a while, letting the heat warm up every inch of. However, when it came time to wash my hair and scrub my skin, I hesitated. As much as I wanted to remove Laurence’s scent, the omega inside of me disagreed. It liked his scent all over me. 

I wanted more.

“Fuck off,” I muttered to myself, grabbing the soap and rubbing it over my skin. “You don’t want him, trust me.”

My omega still didn’t agree.

I scrubbed myself until my skin was raw and there wasn’t a trace of Laurence left on me. My omega howled its disapproval, but it wasn’t in control. I was. I washed my hair and when I stepped out of the bath and dried myself off, I felt ten times better than when I woke up. I still had a headache, but food would fix that.

I went back to my room and got dressed in a yellow sundress, one of the few things in the closet that was originally mine, then headed downstairs. The sound of shuffling from the kitchen told me that Laurence was there. I hesitated for at the foot of the stairs, then pressed on. I wouldn’t be able to avoid him all day. Avoiding him also would be proof that last night got to me, an impression I did not want to leave.

“I’m hungry, cook for me,” I called out. 

“You missed breakfast,” an unfamiliar voice replied. 

I walked far enough into the living room to see into the kitchen and in it, saw a blond hair man standing near the sink, dressed in an apron while he scrubbed dishes. He finished the pan he was washing, then turned to face me. He had a neatly trimmed beard and a variety of tiny white scars that crisscrossed his face.

You’re Mrs. Astor, right? The new lady of the house?” he asked.

“I guess,” I said.

“Right. Well, I don’t care what you call yourself frankly, it’s not my problem. You’re new though, so let me tell you the rules. If you miss a meal, I’m not cooking again for you, I’ve got other stuff to do. Breakfast is served at 9:00 AM sharp, dinner at 3:00, and supper at 7:00. If you don’t like something, tell me now, because if I put food in front of you and you want something different, I’m going to tell you to suck it up.”

His voice was gruff and deep, and he spoke like a man who didn’t have much patience. A slight accent tinged his words, but I had a hard time putting my finger on what it was. He was intimidating too, and I wasn’t sure what to make of him.

“You’re one of the servants?” I asked. “What’s your name?”

“Call me Jacques,” he said. “You hungry?”

“I thought you said I missed breakfast?”

“I said you’re new. You didn’t know. Sit down and I’ll make you tea and something to eat.”

“Thank you, it’s-

“I don’t need the formalities,” he cut me off. “Go sit,” he said, pointing towards the dining room.

I frowned. The rudeness through me off, but he was cooking for me, so it wasn’t like I could complain. He just wasn’t what I expected. I always imagined servants as overly polite, to the point of being ingratiating. Jacques was anything but. From his gruff voice and intimidating presence, he radiated the energy of someone who valued their independence. I could appreciate that. It meant we had something in common.

I sat down in the dining room and a few minutes later, Jacques appeared with a cup of tea, placing it in front of me without a word. As I was taking my first drink, two women walked into the dining room chatting with one another. One was dressed in what seemed to be standard maid’s clothes, and, to my estimation, was stunningly beautiful. Long brown hair ended somewhere past her back and her chocolate brown eyes were a shade softer than her hair. Soft features and curves that were visible even in her uniform made me feel jealous. 

The woman next to her was less classically beautiful but no less interesting. She wore a long skirt and clean white shirts, paired with heavy boots. She was tall and well-muscled with tan skin from working outside. Both were betas, lacking the unique pheromones that marked Laurence and me, but if I had only seen pictures of them, I would have believed that they were an omega and an alpha respectively.

“Hello! The maid said. She gave a curtsy, then tossed an arm around the taller woman to pull her in closer. “My name is Victoria, and this is Isabel. It’s nice to meet you, madame.”

“This one doesn’t care for manners,” Jacques yelled from the kitchen. “Cut it with all that formal garbage.”

“Just because you like to be rude doesn’t mean we all do!” Victoria shouted back.

Isabel broke away from Victoria’s grasp, gave me a small, polite wave. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said before she nodded at Victoria and left the room without another word. I frowned. Did I offend her? I’d barely said anything, but I got the sense that she didn’t like me.

“Don’t worry too much about Isabel,” Victoria said with a dismissive wave. “She’ll warm up. She wants to get outside before it’s too hot out. She’s the gardener,” Victoria explained.

“Yes, that’s…fine,” I said, still feeling off balance with the sudden arrival of all the new faces. It was all a bit overwhelming. I kind of wished Laurence was here to make the process easier. 

“Do you happen to know where Mr. Astor is?” Victoria asked. “I haven’t seen him today. I thought he might be with you, but apparently not.”

“Have you tried his office?” I asked. “If you want I can get him for you,” I said. 

“Oh, that’s not needed. I only asked so I could give him his tea,” she said.

“I’ll find him,” I said, getting up from my chair. “He’s probably in his office.”

“If you’re going up make it quick!” Jacques shouted. “Your food is going to be ready soon and if it gets cold, I’m not making more!”

“Oh hush! You’ll do what the lady asks Jacques!” Victoria scolded. “Don’t let him bully you by the way,” she said turning back to me. “He’s all bark and no bite.”

“I can hear you!” Jacques shouted.

It was too much. There was a familiarity between, and I felt awkward and out of place. I was a person who invaded their home and was now making them serve me.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, fleeing from the room and up the stairs. 

“Look, you scared her off. And you call me rude,” Jacques said.

“Oh shut it, she’ll be back. She’s getting her mate,” Victoria said.

I paused in front of Laurence’s door and sorted through my thoughts. Nothing was going badly downstairs, but I still felt uncomfortable. I doubted having Laurence there would make that feeling go away either. It was simply too jarring. I’d never had someone cook for me or attend me. It made me feel even more like a pet in a gilded cage, even though I knew that they were just doing their jobs. 

I’m never going to get used to this, I thought.

The door swung open and Laurence stepped out, almost colliding headlong with me before he caught himself. I took a step back and cleared my throat. This encounter I could handle without feeling bad. “It would’ve been nice to tell me the servants were back,” I said.

“Well, I was going to tell you, but you fell asleep before I could.”

“You didn’t have to wait for it to be so late to fill me,” I said.

“Is it a problem? Are they bothering you?” he asked.

God, how was he missing the point this hard? “Tell me when things are happening. I don’t like surprises,” I said.

“I- fine. I’m sorry, I’ll keep you informed in the future.”

“Thank you.”

“Did you need something?” he asked. “Or were you standing in front of my office for no reason?”

“Victoria was trying to find you so she could give you your tea, but while I’m here let’s finish that contract, we never signed it,” I said.

“Sure, come in,” he said, stepping aside and allowing me to enter. “I was about to head down to eat.”

“Jacques said breakfast is served at 9:00,” I said. “Is that not true?”

“As much as he swears otherwise, I can cook for myself. He also won’t say no if you miss a meal. He’s not about to let you go hungry.

“Then why is he so…” I trailed off, failing to find the word I wanted. Rude didn’t seem like it quite fit.

“Abrasive?” Laurence offered.

I couldn’t help it. I laughed. At least Laurence was honest.

He grinned. “Have you met Isabel yet or was she already outside?” he asked.

“I did, but we didn’t talk. She seemed more interested in working,” I said.

Laurence circled his desk and settled back down behind it before starting to root through a drawer. “I promise, she’s the nicest person here. I know you like to garden, and she’d be more than happy to talk or work with you if you’d like.”

The mention of my old garden filled me up with bitterness. It was another thing I’d lost and couldn’t get back. I could start anew here or help Isabel, but it wouldn’t be the same. However, it would be something to do other than sitting around.

“That sounds nice. I’ll go after I eat,” I said.

“I’m sure Isabel will appreciate the help,” Laurence said. He placed our contract on his desk. “Now, before you sign this, is there anything else you want to add?”

I read over the document and shook my head. It looked fine to me. Laurence handed me a pen and I signed my name, letting out a satisfied hum as I did. It was far from perfect, but it was a concession I’d fought for and won. If nothing else, it proved that Laurence wasn’t completely unreasonable.

“Now, you have to uphold your end of the deal,” Laurence said, after signing his name under mine.

Right. I agreed to let him scent me once a day. I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect, but my omega was. It didn’t like when I washed off his scent begin with and couldn’t wait to get it back.

God, why couldn’t I have just been a beta?

“Fine,” I said. I put my palms flat on the desk and leaned over it, shoving my face right in front of Laurence’s. “Get it over with.”

“We can do it later if you’re not in the mood now,” he said. 

“It’s fine. Let’s just get it out of the way.”

“As you wish,” he said. He moved forward pressed his nose to my neck then dragged it downward. The touch was feather light, but the contact still sent a tiny thrill of pleasure through me.

He moved in closer, then pressed his cheek to my neck and rubbed it up and down like a possessive cat, scratching my skin with the barely visible stubble that covered his face. I could smell his scent mixing with my own again and I relaxed, pushing my neck more firmly against him.

“Can you come around? It’s hard to scent you like this,” he said.

I shouldn’t. I should’ve told him that we had enough scenting for the day. But my omega had a taste of his scent again it howled for more. 

_No need to deny myself comfort_ , I thought. _You only like his scent, not him_. 

“Okay,” I said, rounding the desk. Anxiety prickled beneath my skin and I looked around, wondering what he would do.

“Do you want to sit?” he asked.

“Sit where?”

He patted his lap. 

Of course. Why would I expect something different? I shuffled around and looked away from him, toying with my hair. Was I really going to do this? Plop myself down in his lap and let him scent me? I could ask him to stand up, but then I remembered how good it felt to rest on him when we were in the carriage. Would sitting on his lap be even better?

“Are you-”

“I’m thinking about it,” I said. “Don’t push me.”

“Okay, take your time,” he said.

I looked at his lap and thought. Would it really be so wrong to try it? He wasn’t forcing me and I had to admit the idea had its appeal. He was big and it would be comfortable. It might help get rid of the rest of my stress too. The more of his scent I inhaled, the more at ease I felt.

“Okay,” I nodded. “How are we going to do this?”

“You’re seriously going to overthink this?” he asked.

“I’m not overthinking it, I just-”

He reached up and grabbed my waist, then pulled me down. I ended up straddling him with his hands resting on top of my hips. Every muscle in my body tensed. His scent was good, but I wasn’t sure how to feel about being this close. I was kneeling above him on his over-sized chair, so we weren’t even touching. I almost got back up and called the whole thing a failure, but then he leaned up and dragged his nose across my throat again.

I melted. I let my body relax and fell into him, submitting to his scenting. He made a pleased noise and pressed a kiss near my pulse, accenting it with a hint of teeth. I almost squeaked with how sudden it was, but it felt good, even better than what he was doing before.

I wanted more.

I titled my neck to the side to give him better access and he got the message. He left a mix of butterfly kisses and little nips all over my throat, making me shudder with delight. I was cocooned in a heady mix of our combined scents and I couldn’t remember why I ever thought this would be a bad idea. 

“You smell good,” I said, taking the chance to press my own mouth to his neck. I left a few kisses, then pulled away. I wanted to look at his face. To see if he was as affected by this as me. He moved back and we looked into each other’s eyes and then, his eyes flicked down to my lips. A second later he moved forward and kissed me.

It started slow but quickly turned into something more. His hands tightened on my hips and he hauled me in closer so there wasn’t an inch of space between us. Our kisses were hungry and ravenous, and I threaded my hands into his hair to get more. Heat pooled low in my belly and I had to force myself not to grind my hips into him.

“Oh!” Victoria gasped. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to see!”

My head whipped to the door to see Victoria standing there, a cup of tea on a plate in one hand while the other covered her eyes. I scrambled off Laurence’s lap, and stood up, smoothing out my clothes. God this was a nightmare. The high from kissing and scenting Laurence vanished and all that was left in its place was shame. God, why did I do this to myself? Why did I kiss back?

“It’s fine. We were done anyway,” Laurence said. He looked at me and gave me a hopeful smile. I ignored him.

“Are you sure?” Victoria asked.

“Yes,” I said. “We’re done. It’s fine. I’m going to get my breakfast,” I said, rushing out of the room and past her. There was no way I was going to sit there and have that conversation. There was no need either.

It was never going to happen again.


	5. Chapter 5

I ate quickly, happy that I was alone again. I gained a new appreciation for Jacques personality when he took one look at me and gave me my food without saying a word. Eating made me feel a bit better, but my whole day was still ruined, and I didn’t think there was any fixing it.

Someone moved past the window and I looked up from my food. I saw Isabel tending to the plants, watering them with a massive watering can. I remembered what Laurence said early and stood up. Gardening would be good, a way to take my mind off what had happened. She was quiet too, which I hoped meant she was going to ask me any questions about why I was upset.

My dress wasn’t suited for gardening, but if I wanted to ruin something that was mine, then I damn well would. I wasn’t going to sit inside because I was afraid of getting my clothes dirty.

I left my plates on the table and out the front door of the house. The heat of the day washed over me and I hummed happily. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I’d end up sweating, but that was what I wanted. Maybe I could sweat away all my worries.

I stepped off the porch and rounded the house, looking for Isabel. I found her at the back of the house, tending to a huge patch of pink rose bushes. Next to the bushes were a variety of flowers in a myriad of colors, most of which I couldn’t put a name to. At home, I’d mostly grown vegetables and herbs. I’d never had the chance to spend so much time growing something was beautiful rather than practical.

“Someone need me?” Isabel called out to me, looking up from where she’d was working. 

“No. I’m here to ask if I could help with the garden,” I said.

“Help?”

“Yes, I know a little bit about gardening, and I want something to do. Is that okay?” I asked.

Isabel thought for a moment, then shrugged. “If you want. Grab a pair of gloves,” she said, withdrawing an extra pair from her pocket and throwing them my way.

I put them on and stepped over any flowers, settling down close to Isabel. I adjusted my dress and scanned over the ground for weeds. The garden looked well kept, but rhe sheer amount of the flowers took up ensured that there was still plenty around. I got to work, tearing up weeds and adding them to the already sizable pile that Isabel had started to create.

Soon dirt began to cake on my arms while sweat poured off my back. Neither were entirely unwelcome feelings. Working was accomplishing what I wanted to. It made me feel less helpless and gave me a sense of control, however small.

“I didn’t work much with flowers,” I said. “Tell me about them?” I asked.

“You want to learn?” she asked. 

“Yes, I’d like to. It’d be nice,” I said.

She nodded, then filled the air with constant conversation about the plants and the care they needed. I clung to her words, listening carefully to each one of them, and taking note of any of the facts that stood out. A smile teased at the edges of Isabel’s lips, but she still managed to look rather serious. Even as she chattered on, she used her words sparingly, only sharing the most important factors and details of each plant.

“Where did you learn to garden?” Isabel asked. 

“At home. It helped me clear my head,” I said.

Isabel nodded and yanked another weed from the ground. “Is that why you’re out here now?” she asked.

“In a way I guess, but I really do like to garden and help,” I answered. “It makes me feel useful.”

“Having trouble with Mister Astor?” she asked.

“Trouble seems like too weak a word,” I said.

She nodded. “I think I know what the problem is.”

“Really?” I asked. “What do you think it is?”

“He doesn’t understand,” she said.

“What does that mean?” I asked. 

“He has a way of seeing the world and everything has to fit into it somehow. He can’t understand otherwise. It’s hard for him to adopt other people’s views.”

“Does he understand you?” I asked

Isabel shook her head. “No, he doesn’t understand any of us. To him, we are mysteries. He asks questions, but he doesn’t get why Jacques is rude or I’m quiet, even if we give him an answer.”

I thought of Laurence in his office, surrounded by his books, but still unable to make sense of the world. Maybe that was the reason why he studied like he did. It’d make sense. A man, who could only see the world from his own eyes and not anyone else’s.

“Do you think I’d understand?” I asked.

She looked at me and shrugged. “You can try.”

“Why are you quiet?” I asked.

“People don’t want to hear when they’re wrong, especially from someone like me. Usually, it’s better to be quiet.”

Was she being serious? I could see “He doesn’t understand that?” I asked surprised. “Really?”

“I have no reason to lie. Now how about you tell me why you don’t want to be mated to him?” she asked.

“I never said I didn’t.”

“Am I mistaken then?” She asked

“No,” I said. “I never wanted to be mated. Not like this.”

“And why’s that?” she asked.

“I want to be free. To be independent. He thinks he can give me that, but it’s not the same. It’s different,” I explained. “He doesn’t-

“Understand,” she finished for me.

Oh, she was right. It made an uncomfortable amount of sense. It was something I’d noticed myself but didn’t have the words to explain. Isabel’s explanation fit perfectly. 

“I don’t know.”

I waited for more, hoping for some sort of encouragement or something to weaken the blow, but Isabel remained silent. I returned to weeding, moving at half the speed as before. There was a weight that had settled on my chest, making it hard to breathe and focus. The thought that Laurence as always going to be like this, that he might never understand, was terrifying.

“Fuck,” I cursed.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Isabel said.”

“I prefer this. The truth is better than lies. I don’t want to be lied to,” I said.

She met my eyes, but then looked past me, squinting at something just behind my shoulder. I craned my beck back and saw a wagon, one that looked very similar to Laurence’s, bouncing down the road, guided by two horses I’d never seen before.

“Visitors?” I asked. “He’s out of the way, I didn’t think he’d get them often,” I said.

“He doesn’t,” she said. “You should go inside and change,” she ordered.

“What? Why would I do that? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I believe those are his parents and they’re not going to be happy about seeing you out here,” she replied.

“I don’t care. I’m going to stay out here. I’m not a damn pet. They can be as unhappy as they want,” I said.

“They’re very traditional. It’s not going to be a good conversation,” she warned me. 

“I’m lucky I’m not married to them then, aren’t I?”

Isabel laughed. “You’re stubborn, aren’t you?”

“Do you understand why?”

She cracked a smile. “Yes. I do.”

“Then you’ll let me stay?” I asked.

“You’re the lady of the house,” she said with a shrug. “If you want to, you can. I do appreciate the company.”

The anxiety growing in my stomach faded slightly. Isabel had my back.

The carriage grew close enough that I could see the people inside. It was a man and a woman, sitting with matching serious expressions. The woman had long dirty blond hair, bordering on brown, and a face mattered with freckles. She wore an elegant white dress and waved a fan in her face, attempting to fight off the heat of the day. The man looked much more like Laurence, but pudgier. Their hair and eyes were almost identical. His suit seemed like it had to be stifling, but he held himself like the heat didn’t affect him.

Isabel rose to her feet and brushed off some of the dirt from her clothes. She made her way towards the carriage, waving at the people and shouting out a greeting. The carriage stopped right where Laurence’s had yesterday, and after a brief conversation with Isabel, the couple stepped out. Isabel climbed into the carriage and grabbed the reins, guiding the horses towards the stable

Then their eyes fell on me.

I stood up and walked closer, my heart pounding in my chest. I was furious that Laurence hadn’t told me his parents were coming earlier, but perhaps it was a good thing. I got to introduce myself to them on my own terms rather than his.

“I’ve never seen you before,” the man said, giving me once over. “I hadn’t realized my son had gotten a new servant. What’s your name?” he asked.

“I’m not a servant,” I replied. “I’m Laurence’s new mate, Celeste. Has he told you about me?” I asked.

The man’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He looked at my neck searching for a bond mark that wasn’t there and his disbelief grew stronger. “You’re his new mate?” 

“Yes, that would be me,” I confirmed. “And you are?” I asked.

“Where is Laurence?” he snapped. “Is he in his office?”

“Excuse me?” 

“You heard me omega, where is Laurence?”

Hostile pheromones rolled off him in waves and I looked towards his wife, only to see her face crafted into a mask of neutrality. She wasn’t even looking at me, instead choosing to look down and at a patch of dirt by my feet. If I were in her position, I might’ve done the same. Laurence’s father seemed angry and controlling. I couldn’t blame her for not rocking the boat.

“Inside. Go find him yourself,” I retorted.

His face turned red. His fists by his side and he stormed up the porch, tearing the door to the house open, and slamming it shut behind him. I swallowed the knot in my throat and turned to his wife and extended my hand. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?” I asked. 

She glanced up at me and I smiled, doing my best to be charming. She reached out and took my hand. Her grip was soft, and her skin was smooth, missing any of the callouses marks my own did. It was clear that she didn’t work. “I’m Rose,” she said. Her eyes darted to the door, lingered for a second before she looked back to me. “I’m sorry about William. He was just…surprised. I don’t think he expected his son’s mate to be working outside with the servants,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

At least this encounter was going well. Alone, Rose’s mother seemed more willing to meet my eyes and talk. I still felt uncomfortable but winning her over was only to my advantage.

“You as well,” I said. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

“William insisted we visit as soon as we got the word that Laurence was going to be mated. He wanted it to be a surprise,” she explained. “I tried to talk him out of it but you know how alphas are,” she said with a forced laugh.

Yes, I know all too well, I thought. “Come inside,” I said. “No need to stand in the sun. I can get cleaned up too.”

“Thank you, that sounds wonderful.” She paused and looked at the flowers behind me. “For what it’s worth, I think your garden is beautiful.”

It wasn’t my garden, but I still found myself smiling. My garden. Not Laurence’s, not your mates. Mine. Even it wasn’t true, I liked the way she said it. It implied that she saw me more as an alpha’s pet. Maybe she wasn’t as traditional as Isabel thought.

I slid my arm through hers and together we walked up the porch and into the house. A loud barely contained argument was going on upstairs and it didn’t take much imagination to find out who it was between. Rose rolled her eyes. “They’re at it again,” she said.

“Now is that Rose Astor who just walked in” Jacques called from the kitchen, defusing some of the tension. 

“It is,” Rose said smiling. “How did you know?”

“It is hard not to know when the two of them are arguing, isn’t it? Like dogs the two of them.”

“I’ll take care of it,” I said. “There is no reason we can’t talk.”

“Let them fight it out,” Rose said. “It’s pointless to argue with them when they’re angry.”

“Well, I want to try,” I said, heading towards the stairs. I wasn’t interested in defusing their argument as much as I was interested in listening to what they were saying. It wasn’t hard to figure out Laurence’s father’s feelings towards me, but why guess when I could know for sure?

Rose clicked her tongue behind me but didn’t try to stop me. “You’re wasting your time, but feel free,” she said.

I walked up the stairs and paused outside of Laurence’s door. Here, their argument was clear as day. I leaned against the wall and started listening.

“What the hell do you think you’re _doing_?” William yelled, his voice barely muffled by the door of Laurence’s office. “You told us you found mate, but it looks like you married a damn servant!”

“You could’ve told me you were visiting! I could have made her more presentable,” Laurence shouted back. 

“I don’t think there is anything you could do to make that woman more presentable. She’s all the worst things! She’s got an attitude like nothing else and she’s dirty. I expected better from you!”

“Do not talk about her like that! She’s my mate, don’t you dare insult her!”

“Your mate?” William laughed bitterly. “Son, you haven’t even bonded her. She’s not your mate. She may as well be a whore!”

“ _Enough_!” Laurence roared. “You do not get to decide what I do with my mate and you will not insult her!”

“I’m your father! Don’t you dare talk to me like that!”

“If you didn’t insult my mate, I wouldn’t have to!”

Their pheromones spilled out from the door, stinging my nose with the bitterness of their anger, but my own anger allowed me to stay. The way they were talking about me like I was some object meant only to please one of them, was the most infuriating. Laurence was defending me, but I was my own person. He didn’t get to decide how I presented myself or direct my life. Those were my choices. Not an alpha’s. 

“Before we leave, you’re going to bond her,” William ordered. “I wish you didn’t pick her to begin with, but you can’t choose a new mate now. If you want this omega fine, but you can’t live like this. People will know,” he said.

“We’ve been mated for less than a week! How will anyone know? No one has even seen her yet!”

“And you think you can hide her forever? People will notice the absence of a bonding mark; they’ll see that she’s far too arrogant. What’s so hard to understand? You’re her alpha. You bond her and she obeys you. Don’t make this harder than it should be.”

I winced. It was exactly what I expected someone like him to say, but it still hurt. At least it didn’t rub off on Laurence, I thought. It could be worse.

“You wouldn’t treat mother like this!” Laurence shouted. “I’m not going to force her to bond with me. I don’t want to have a mate who obeys me out of fear. I want her to be happy with me before we bond.”

“Do you hear yourself? Why did you bother to take a mate if this is how you plan to act? You may think I’m an old fool, but I passed your room and I don’t smell a trace of her in there. You’re not even sleeping in the same bed, but you have the nerve to tell me your mated! It’s absurd!”

“I’m done arguing about this,” Laurence said. “You are free to think what you want, but don’t you dare be rude to Celeste.”

“We’re not done with this conversation,” William said. “I’m not going to let this go.”

“Then I’ll ignore you,” Laurence said.

Before I could move away, the door swung open, revealing the fuming form of William. He took one look at me and his mood darkened further. His hand gripped the doorknob so tight, that I feared he was about to tear it off.

“Laurence. Control your omega,” he said, pushing past me and stomping back down the stairs.

I glared at him as he left. How did Rose handle it? I didn’t want to live my life tiptoeing around my mate’s anger, but she made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. It made no sense.

“So, you heard all of that?” Laurence asked.

I looked back to Laurence and glared at him too. It was a stupid question, not even worth answering. Of course, I’d heard it. I was standing out the door.

“Nobody decides anything for me. I make my own choices,” I said.

“Of course,” Laurence agreed.

I had a feeling he didn’t understand what I meant, but it was pointless to harp on. “He treats me like garbage, why don’t you kick him out for it?” I asked. 

“He’s my father, I can’t do that.”

“You made me to it to my mother,” I said.

He winced. “That’s different. You can see her whenever you’d like. I can bring her here or take you there.”

“Then why can’t your parents do the same?”

He looked defeated. Stress lines I never realized were there appearing on his face. He pinched the bridge of his and sighed. “I’ll make it worth your while if you put up with them. I promise.”

“I’m sure,” I said, before turning on my heel and stalking down the hall to my room.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinner was awkward. Jacques food was excellent, the best I’d ever had, but it was hard to focus on the flavor when all I could taste were thick angry alpha pheromones. It didn’t help that Laurence had to all but drag m out of my room to even get me down there. I wished I resisted more. Then, I wouldn’t have to deal with this miserable environment.

Dinner was awkward. Jacques food was excellent, the best I’d ever had, but it was hard to focus on the flavor when all I could taste were thick angry alpha pheromones. It didn’t help that Laurence had to all but drag m out of my room to even get me down there. I wished I resisted more. Then, I wouldn’t have to deal with this miserable environment.

William still seemed bitter and angry, fueling the flames of Laurence’s anger and hostility. Rose looked about as uncomfortable as I was, but she remained silent, quietly eating her food and attempting to make polite conversation in an attempt to break the tension. She tried to direct the conversation to me a few times, but I only provided a few clipped answers. I felt somewhat bad about it, but I really didn’t feel like talking right now and the faster I finished my meal, the faster I could retreat to my room.

“So Celeste, I don’t think Laurence has ever told us your family name. Care to tell us?” William asked me. It was the first time he addressed me since we’d met outside.

“No,” I said.

He let out a burst of angry pheromones, but a sharp glare from Laurence stopped things from devolving into another argument. Laurence tried to catch my eyes, but I pointedly ignored him. William seemed to take his failure to get an answer out of me a challenge and started asking me more questions, all of which I deflected. Every time I refused to answer, I could see him getting a bit angrier, but what did I care? He would never like me unless I was the obedient, submissive omega he thought I should be.

“We’re going to retire for the night,” William said eating the last bite of food on his plate. “We’ll see you two tomorrow for breakfast I’m sure. Perhaps we can go riding.”

“The countryside around here is beautiful. I’d like for you to see it, Celeste,” Rose said.

“Sure, I’ll ride with you,” I said, looking at Rose.

“Good. I’m sure that- William started, but I interrupted him.

“I’ve never ridden a horse though, so I’d have to ride with you if that’s okay. You seem like a great teacher,” I said to Rose.

She beamed and gave me her first genuine smile since dinner started. It warmed my heart while also making the guilt welling inside me that much stronger. She didn’t deserve any of this. She had to handle her controlling git of a mate all because he didn’t want to let an argument with Laurence go.

“Laurence,” William said, the warning in his voice obvious. “Perhaps you and your mate would like to sleep as well? I’m sure two have plenty to discuss.”

“William, please. Leave them be,” Rose said. “They’re young, let them sleep when they’re ready.”

The backup was unexpected, and William looked that much more enraged. The look he tossed Rose made my skin crawl, but she glared back without flinching. William held her gaze for a few seconds, then to my shock deflated. He ended up looking more put out and bitter than angry. I made a mental note to ask Rose what the trick was to do that.

“Actually, I am tired. I believe I’ll go to my room as well,” I said standing up from my chair. Without another word, I headed to my room, ignoring the leer that William’s eyes burned into my back. He could have Laurence take up his complaints. God knew he wouldn’t talk to me.

I performed my nightly rituals, then retired to my room, changing into a soft nightgown before I collapsed in bed. Today had been awful and I doubted tomorrow would be any better. Laurence made it sound like they were only going to be staying for a few days, but those few days would feel like centuries if things continued like this. Or, no. It wasn’t both. It was just William. I would have gladly spent more time with Rose. 

I hoped that William did something egregious enough for Laurence to kick him out. That would make things better.

I stared up at the ceiling, stewing in my bitter emotions. My mind kept conjuring images of Laurence and the scent he brought with him. It’d be an instant fix to my anger. I wished that I could somehow have it without the man. It’d be much easier that way. I’d get to satisfy my omega’s perverse desire to be with while maintaining my dignity. I forced my eyes shut, willing for sleep to come. I stayed like that for an hour or two, failing to find sleep. Every time it came close, my omega protest violently, demanding that I get up to see and scent Laurence.

It was impossible to resist.

Grumbling, I rose from my bed and padded out of my room. The hallways were dark, but my feet knew that way to his room all the same. I paused outside of his door and ran a hand through my hair. I could do this. It was fine. Now allowing any more doubts, I opened the door and stepped into his room His scent washed over me instantly, putting me at ease, but it wasn’t enough. My omega craved more.

“Celeste?” Laurence asked, his voice thick with sleep. “Is that you?”

“Shut up,” I said, closing the door behind me treading over to his bed. A lump shaped a lot like Laurence sat up, but it was too dark to make anything out in detail. “Before you get any ideas, know this isn’t about you,” I said. “I just want to sleep. Nothing more. Understand?”

“I understand,” he said, laying back down. “You’ll join me then?”

I didn’t answer verbally figuring that climbing into bed would be answer enough. At first, I tried to settle down as far away from Laurence as possible, but then I began to drift closer and closer. It didn’t help that the closer I got, the more relaxed I felt. It was infuriating, but I was tired enough to not care anymore.

With a silent cursed, I sat up and shifted over, so my body was poised over Laurence’s. Then, I collapsed on top of him burrowed my head into his neck to take in deep gulps of his scent.

“This isn’t for you,” I reminded him. “It’s so I can sleep.”

“You are so confusing,” he said.

“Good.”

His hand trailed up to my hair and stroked it, while his other rubbed soothing circles on my back. I snuggled further into him and let my eyes shut again. I mumbled a quiet goodnight into Laurence’s neck, then let myself drift off, soothed and protected by his scent all around me.

One day, I’d figured out how to separate his scent from him, but for now, this would be enough.

I fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

It was hot. So much hotter than my bed usually was. It felt like I’d fallen asleep on top of a heater and even my nightgown felt scratchy and uncomfortable instead of soft and comforting. I tried to move away from the heat, but something pressing down on my back kept me still. I wiggled again, fighting to break and slid my eyes open, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

It took me a moment process the sight before me. As soon as I did, everything from last night rushed back to me in a sudden burst and I threw myself off Laurence, eager to get some space for myself. Falling asleep with him had been comfortable, but now I felt agitated and upset for a reason I couldn’t even pinpoint yet.

“Celeste? Are you alright?” Laurence said, sting up in bed and rubbing the sleep form his eyes. He looked at me confused, then sniffed the air, no doubt scenting my rising panic. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth, extracting myself form the bed and standing up, my hair was tangled and messy and I felt like garbage. My body thrummed with an unnamed energy, one that I really didn’t want to think about right now. 

“Do you want to go?” he asked. “I’m not going to force you to stay, but I would like to know why you’re freaking out,” he said, looking concerned.

God why did he have to look at me like that? It wasn’t like he was giving me puppy dog eyes, but something inside me just collapsed. Now that I wasn’t in full blow panic mode, I notice that he smelled better than usual, good enough that I would’ve crawled back into bed with him if I was a weaker woman.

All the symptoms coalesced in my head and I clenched my fists, sinking my nails into my palms. Fuck. I knew what this was. It shouldn’t have taken me so long to figure out. My heats usually came on with more warning, but this one was abrupt, springing up on me before I even had a chance to realize I was feeling different. God, this was all Laurence’s fault. The stress of moving her and meeting his parents had thrown me off so much that I wasn’t even able to listen to my own body.

“I’ll tell you later. I promise, now I just want to go,” I said again, forcing myself to take another step back toward the door. Leaving felt like it was impossible without Laurence giving an explicit okay. My my omega it’s mate approval. It was frustrating but having his eyes on me like this and watching him be so concerned was satisfying in its own way as well. I wished it wasn’t such a confusing mess. Sorting out my own emotions from my omega was already hard enough. All my heats did was make it impossible.

“Okay,” Laurence said. “We can deal with it later. It’s okay. Leave if you want.”

At once, the tether that was keeping me in the room severed and I turned tail and fled, bursting out into the hall and slamming right into a body. They grabbed onto to me to prevent themselves from falling, but all it accomplished was pulling me with them. We both ended up on a pile on the floor.

“Celeste?” Rose said from underneath me. 

I launched myself backwards and backed up so I was resting against the wall. The worried and confused face of Rose looked back at me. She was already dressed for the day, which only added to my humiliation. What time was it? Had I really overslept that badly? 

“I’m sorry,” I squeaked. 

“Celeste, calm down, it’s okay,” Rose said. She stood up and brushed herself off, then walked forward and offered me a hand. “Come on. Let’s go to your room.”

I took it, letting her pull me to my feet and guide me back to my room. Her scent, soft and floral, helped to soothe some of my panic. This was Rose. Not an alpha. She was someone who understood. 

Rose opened my door and led me to my bed, sitting me down before stepping back to take a look at me. I withered under her clever eyes and looked down, too embarrassed to meet her eyes.

“Did something happen with Laurence?” she asked. 

“No.” I bit my lip, then looked away, my cheeks burning. “Or he’s involved, but it’s not really his fault. It’s complicated,” I said.

Rose frowned. She looked at me closely, and must’ve seen something that brought it all together, because her frown vanished, and a look of understanding took its place. “Oh. Oh, I see,” she said with a nod. “I think I know the problem. Your heat is coming, isn’t it?”

I wanted to die. It seemed like I was racking up bad moments since the first step I’d taken into this house.

“It’s normal you know. You’ve dealt with them before I’m sure,” she said.

“Yes, just never when I was this close to an alpha,” I replied. “It’s- I don’t like how I feel. I want to be around Laurence, but I also don’t. It feels more intense than usual,” I said.

“You don’t have to fight it. Laurence won’t take advantage of you. If you don’t want him, he’ll stay away. My son isn’t perfect, but he won’t ever violate you,” Rose said.

“I know, but that’s not the problem. I don’t- I don’t want to be that vulnerable. I don’t want to lose control,” I admitted. 

“He’ll lose control the same as much as you, but neither of you are animals. It’s hard, but you can control yourselves. Going at it alone isn’t as good, especially when an alpha is near, but it’s manageable.

“How do you handle this?” I asked. “How do you- do you feel the same for William? I feel like I’m obsessed with Laurence and I’ve barely known him,” I said. “Does it go away? Does it stop?” I asked.

She smiled and shook her head. “It doesn’t. It’s instinct. Beyond you or me. But you’re not the only one. Laurence was never one to fight with his father before, he usually let it go, but now they’re at one another throats. Now why do you think that is? Remember, you’re not the only one fighting instincts they can’t control.”

“But they’ve got all the power!” I shouted. “We can’t do anything without them hanging over our shoulder or telling us we can do. How is that fair?”

“It’s not,” she said. “It never will be. But you’re strong, you don’t have to hide from yourself. This wasn’t what I wanted either. I wanted to go travel and go to places I’d only read about in books. So much of my life was chosen for me and that’s not right, but it is how it is. Unless you’re going to run away, you have to make the best of it. It isn’t all bad either. Time will make it better and I’ve even gotten William to take me on trips. Remember that you’re your own person, even if you are my son’s mate.”

I blinked in surprise. Where was this Rose before? She seems subservient, shy even, but now there was an intensity in her eyes that I’d never seen before.

“I wanted to run a store. I wanted to be free. I can’t have that now and I don’t think I can accept that I can’t change anything. I want to be _free_ ,” I said.

Rose took my hands in her own and met my eyes. No words were spoken, but we didn’t need them. Her face told me everything I needed to know. It spoke of persistence and strength, a will that I was deathly afraid I didn’t have. There was a sadness too. For the things she’d never do and them dreams she’d lost. 

“Then don’t stop fighting for it. Laurence will let you do what you want. It took time for William to come around, but you have power too. Alphas think they’re so strong, but they practically live only for us. They might try to order us around, but one day of the cold shoulder will have them whimpering at your feet. Don’t let him change you into someone you’re not, but don’t resist change yourself either.”

She sounded sincere, but it was still hard to take her advice. What did she know about me? About how I felt. I wanted to point out that she already gave up. That she listened to William and seemed to do whatever he wanted. But that wouldn’t have been fair, and I had no idea if it was even true. It would be my frustration talking. She was another omega, the first one I’d ever met. I couldn’t dismiss everything she said.

“I’ll try,” I said. 

Her arms wrapped around my shoulders and she pulled me into her chest, surrounding me further with her scent and warmth. It was relaxing in a way that Laurence could never be. There was nothing extra about this, nothing to question. It was the embrace of follow omega, one who had gone through what I was going through now and came out on the other side.

“Talk to Laurence. Tell him how you feel about your heat. I’ll talk to William and tell him to be kinder. We’re family now and the least we can do is be civil,” she said. “I won’t let my daughter suffer.,”

A sob racked my chest and I started to cry, the tears I’d been holding back since I’d mated Laurence spilling out. Being in Rose’s arms reminded me of my mother and the comfort she’d provided me. I resolved to do what she advised. It couldn’t hurt to try and if she was right, it’d only help. I’d have to take a chance. 

“Okay,” I whispered against her shoulder. “I will.”

Rose pulled away from me and smiled. “Take a bath and meet me downstairs for breakfast. We can go riding today. Just the two of us. It’ll be a good break.”

I smiled back and wiped my tears form my eyes. “Thank you.”

Riding a horse, even if I clung to Rose’s back the whole time, was harder work than I thought. It didn’t help that the heat burning up my insides had gradually gotten worse. The whole time we rode, my thoughts drifted to Laurence. His scent, the way he looked, everything about him. I took Rose’s advice and didn’t fight it, allowing myself to dwell on all the thoughts.

That was what mostly propelled me forward to talk to Laurence, but I also wanted to fulfill my promise to Rose. She’d already made good on her own to talk to William. He no longer smelled like angry bitterness every time he saw me. I’d still caught a few questioning looks and frowns from him when I went downstairs this morning, but he didn’t’ say anything rude to me. It wasn’t perfect by any means and I resented the control and power that it still felt like he was lording over me, but even I had to admit that it was an improvement.

After Rose finished showing me her favorite parts of the countryside near Laurence, we headed back to the stables. When we arrived, Rose helped me off the horse and steadied me. My legs and hips were sore from riding, but I appreciated being back on solid ground. It was far more comfortable than the horse.

I waited while Rose put the horse in their stable before we both started to walk back to the house. The trip back felt like it was three times as long as the trip there and our slow pace gave more time for the heat to become even more oppressive. 

Through it all, Rose seemed unflustered. She chatted away about herself and served as something to cling onto when I felt like I was being overwhelmed. Her quiet strength amazed me and now that I knew it was there, I could pick out instances of it even when she was with William. The way she defended me at dinner, the quiet way she redirected him, it all took skill and courage. Just a different sort than I was used to seeing.

When we got back to the house, Rose broke away from me to find William, while I went to the kitchen in search of water. My head was so in the clouds, that I didn’t notice the heavy scent in the room before I walked in. He was standing at the counter, talking to Jacques, but their conversation ended abruptly as soon as I entered. His head whipped to me and his eyes slowly scanned up and down my body. 

“Celeste, how was your riding? Did you have fun?” he asked, his voice strained.

My tongue was too thick in my mouth to respond. All I could think about was the way his scent was turning deeper and muskier. I closed my eyes and took it all in, letting it down out my others though as I focused only on Laurence. If I was going to have a conversation about my heat, it needed to happen soon. Before I became nothing more than instinct and lust.

“You alright? You look like you’ve had a few too many,” Jacques said. 

His voice brought me out of my head and I gave him a weak nod. “I’m fine. Could you get me a glass of water? I could really use it,” I said, my mouth feeling like a desert. 

“Celeste, are we going to have that talk?” Laurence asked.

Right. I promised him we’d talk about it too. That made two people now. Any thought of backing out now vanished. “Right. We can. Come upstairs?” I asked.

“Drink your water first,” Jacques said, shoving a glass of the stuff in my hand. I drained it in one long gulp. It did little to clear the heat that ravaged my body, but it did make it a bit easier to think.

“Another?” Jacques asked.

“No, it’s fine,” I said. “I have…business,” I replied.

Jacques smiled slyly and glanced at Laurence. “Yeah, it seems like you do. Go have fun kid.”

I bristled at being called a kid but Laurence was already moving towards the stared. He slid his arm through mine and pulled me away. As soon as our skin touched, any thought of scolding Jacques vanished. Laurence led me quickly through the house, ignoring both William and Victoria when we passed the pair. He only dropped my arm when we entered his room and he’d shut the door.

I took a step away from him and turned around as I crossed my arms. I wasn’t sure what to say and the encounter from earlier this morning still rang clear in my mind. I didn’t want to embarrass myself like that again. Then again, there was no good way to start this conversation. It was better to get straight to the point.

“My heat is soon,” I said.

“Okay,” Laurence replied.

“I don’t know if I want you to help me.

“Okay,” he said, his voice more strained.

“Say something?” I asked. “You’re not telling me anything right now. We’re supposed to be talking.”

“What do you want me to say?” he said.

“Something that tells me how you’re feeling,” I said.

“Fine. I don’t know why you won’t let me you. We’re mates. I want to be with you, I want to keep you safe and I don’t want to see you suffer. But I’m not going to force you to do anything, no matter how much I wish I could,” he said.

It was a relief to hear it. It was what I expected but hearing it from him made it seem much more real. My omega celebrated the fact that he wanted to be with me. I couldn’t get enough of the thought that the strong, powerful, _nice_ alpha wanted to take care of me. Wanted to make me feel good.

“If I say yes, you can’t bond me. I’m not ready,” I said. “You have to swear. Even if I beg you for it you have to promise you won’t.”

“Celeste-”

“ _Promise_ ,”I pressed.

He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. When he opened them, he looked more in control. “Okay. I promise. I won’t bond you, not until you’re ready,” he said. 

The words hung heavy in the air and I turned them over in my head. He sounded sincere and that clause was already in our contract. Heat could change things easily though and his continued insistence that he’d listened seem genuine. So far, he treated me more or less fairly. This time, I could believe him.

I walked up to him then wrapped my arms around his neck and gave in to the cravings that’d been haunting me all day. The feel of his skin on mine and his scent in my nose was amazing. It was everything I wanted and more. It was a bliss that I’d never know was so close.

Tentatively, he held me as well, placing his hands on my hips. Thankfully, when he noticed I had no intention of pulling away, he became bolder. His grip hardened and he let his nose trace across my neck, scenting me freely. 

“Lay with me, please,” he said, pulling me backward towards his bed. “Let me hold you.”

I nodded and scooped me up in his arms then deposited me on his bed. He took a step back, his hands on his hips as he slowly raked his eyes over me again. I frowned. 

“Why do you do that?” I asked. “Why do you stare at me so much?”

“Because you’re beautiful,” he replied. It almost seemed like he had a hard time understanding how I didn’t already know that. “You’re beautiful, gorgeous, and all mine. I don’t think I’ve come to terms with that yet.”

His praise sent the heat inside me into a frenzy and I squirmed around on his bed. The compliments satisfied a part of me I wasn’t even aware of, but now that the itch had started to be scratched, I needed more. More of the sweet words and gentle praises from my alpha.

I reached out my arms and whined high in my throat, willing to embarrass myself if it meant him getting closer. In an instant, he was on top of me, caging me in against the mattress, but still giving me enough room to breathe. I was thankful for that. It already felt impossible to draw to breathe and everything was far too hot.

“Kiss me?” he asked, moving closer to my lips.

I swallowed, “Okay.”

Our lips came together, and we fell into a slow methodical kiss. It was nothing like our first. It was like he was memorizing every part of my mouth for later. 

It was almost romantic.

“You smell so fucking good,” he growled, pulling away and tracing his lips down to nip beneath my jaw.

“You’re lying. I probably smell awful from rid- _ah_ ,” I yelped. 

His lips had found a spot just below my ear that had all my words dying in my throat and electricity racing up my spine. He smiled against it and kept kissing and licking until his teeth got a good grip and he bit down lightly.

I saw stars.

I raked my nails back, beyond frustrated that his shirt was in the way and tried to yank him down more, so he was fully on top of me and I could feel his weight pinning me in place and keeping me still. It was good, more than good. I couldn’t get enough.

His hands found my wrist and he pinned them next to my head on the bed. He pressed his lips to mine again and the fog that I let myself surrender to the kiss. Slick poured out of me and I tested his hold on my wrist, pulling them up lightly, but he held on tighter and kissed me harder as if to punish my attempt at escape. It sent the fire into me soaring higher, but I wasn’t the type to give up easily. Not when playing like this was so fun. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him in closer, moaning into his mouth when his hardness brush against my core.

“Let me touch you,” I said, breaking away from our kiss. 

“I think I like you like this though,” he said. “Helpless, needy, god I can smell your slick. Are you wet already? Do I turn you on that much?”

I bit my lower lip hard, refusing to answer. He was right and he knew it. That didn’t mean I had to give him the satisfaction of confirming it. “Less talk, more action,” I said.

He lunged forward and his mouth found my pulse point. He bit and nipped, teasing what me with what it might feel like to get mated. It was dangerous, but so, so good. If he bit a bit harder, we would be bonded. That combination of danger and pleasure made me body coil up like spring and had me grinding up my hips into his to seek more friction.

“Clothes. Take off your clothes,” I gasped. “I want to feel you.”

“I’d have to let you go to do that,” he whispered against my neck.

“Laurence, _please_ ,” I cried, past caring. I needed my skin on his own more than I cared about being stubborn. There would be time for that later. A time when I wasn’t ravaged by a heat that clawed at my core and made me ache to be filled.

“Since you said please,” he said with a near putt, releasing my wrists.

At once, I went to work on his clothes, clawing at the buttons of his shirt then pulling it off when half of them were undone. Laurence stripped me of my own shirt and skirt. I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt the cool air on my skin. We collided together again in a mess of limbs and kisses, biting and touching everywhere we could.

“Let me taste you,” Laurence said, snaking his way down my body and knocking my legs apart, looking up at me for permission.

I nodded and he hooked his thumbs into my panties, yanking them off and leaving me completely bare. He wasted no time sticking out his tongue and running it over my folds. I couldn’t stop the shudder that followed.

“You taste so good omega,” he moaned, taking another long swipe of his tongue up my slit. One of his hands ran over my thighs and collected some of the wetness there before he stuck a finger into his mouth and sucked it clean satisfied hum. “I’m going to devour you” he promised.

“God, yes,” cried out, grinding my soaked pussy into his face. 

He smiled, low and dangerous, and then went to work. His lips found my clit and he sucked at it gently, slowly picking up in intensity until I saw stars. My hands went to his hair and I was torn between holding him there and yanking him away. The pleasure of it all was nearly too much. None of this was like any of the times I’d touched myself. They were incomparable.

“Oh fuck,” I gasped when one of his fingers worked its way inside of me. He thrust it in and out at a leisurely pace, denying me what s desperately craved. I would’ve demanded more, but his tongue was still toying with my clit, and forming noises that weren’t curses or moans was impossible. Thankfully, another finger joined its companion and they picked up their pace until they hammered in and out of me. They curved ever so slightly inside of me and rubbed against that hypersensitive place inside of me.

I screamed.

I screamed my ecstasy to the world and he still didn’t stop. He kept going, brushing against that spot over and over again. The combined feeling of his tongue and lips on my clit and fingers inside of me was too much to bear. I tried to warn him, tried to tell him I was about to cum, but my orgasm crashed over me and drowned out everything else. My pussy convulsed around his fingers, but he still didn’t stop. He kept thrusting them in and out of me, dragging out my peak for longer than I thought was even possible.

I didn’t know when he pulled away or when the sensations stopped. I was too busy floating up in a warm, peaceful bliss until I felt a hand running through my hair and sweet nothings being whispered in my ear. The heat that’d been burning through me seemed gone for now and I was content to lay in the aftermath, surrounded by Laurence’s scent as I came down from where he’d taken me.

It went on like this for a few minutes, before I fully came back to my senses. I turned my head to look at him and once he saw I was moving on my own, he started to pull away.

“Wait,” I said, catching his wrist. “Don’t you want me to help you too?” I asked.

“I do,” he said. “But if you do that, I’m not going to be able to control myself and we’re going to be stuck here before your heat officially starts.”

That didn’t sound that bad. Having him on top of me and fucking me until my heat came on was hardly a nightmare. I didn’t think Laurence would accept that as a reason why he should continue. He pulled his hand away more insistently and I let go, knowing his decision was already made. 

“Fine,” I said, eying the obvious bulge in his underwear. “I won’t force you either.”

“I’ll run you a bath,” he said, crawling out of the bed and taking a step towards the door. The distance between us helped clear my head enough to think about how nice a bath sounded. Maybe he really was onto something.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Will you eat dinner with my family again?” he asked, a spark of hope in his eyes. 

I didn’t want to, but that look hopeful look and the way that he’d taken care of me made me more willing. I was developing a soft spot for Laurence and there was nothing I could do about it. Damn alphas.

“Fine, I said. “But if William says anything rude, I’m leaving.”

Laurence smiled. “I wouldn’t accept anything else.”


	8. Chapter 8

Dinner went well this time. It’d was quieter than the last one and William and Laurence still talked the most, but the heavy sense of awkwardness from last night was gone. The affair wasn’t corrupted by posturing or fights for dominance, it was just normal. Mundane. Almost boring.

Except that I couldn’t get close enough Matt.

I’d sat next to him, but I wanted badly to seat myself in his lap. Every small bit of contact felt better than it should, and I didn’t bother hiding it. After all, what would be the point? Who was there to complain? William would’ve encouraged it and Rose gave me a knowing smile every time my hands lingered for longer than normal on Laurence. With any other coupe, I was sure it would’ve been considered scandalous, but maybe that was the benefit of being raised by an alpha and omega couple. They got it. Nothing had to be explained and the impulses that both of us had weren’t taken for anything more than what they were.

It was a small blessing.

When dinner ended and Laurence and I retired upstairs. I pulled Laurence to my bedroom, hoping to let some of his scent to soak into it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted it there permanently, but I was positive that I wanted it as thick as possible for the next couple of days. I could’ve gone to his room and not had any trouble with scent, but mine made me feel much more at home than his room did.

I thought that when I’d gotten him into my bed, that I’d want a repeat performance from earlier. Instead, I found myself more exhausted than lustful. Heat still licked at my insides, warning me of what was to come tomorrow, but cuddling with Laurence and laying with him was enough for now. Especially when he pulled me into his chest and allowed me to breathe in as much of his scent as I wanted.

“Do you need anything before you sleep?” he asked.

“No, this is fine,” I sighed into his chest. “But please tell me your parents aren’t going to be here tomorrow.”

“No,” he said. “They’re leaving tomorrow morning. I was actually going to say goodbye to them after you slept.”

“It’ll be late though,” I argued.

He laughed. “No, Celeste it’s only 9:00. You’re just exhausted,” he informed me.

“I don’t want you to leave when I sleep,” I said, curling up closer to him. 

“I can do it now then,” he said.

“Ugh,” I grunted.

“Here,” he said, pushing away from me and wiggling out of his nightshirt. “You can have this. I’ll tell Rose and William you said goodbye as well. I don’t think either of them expects you to talk to them when you’re like this.”

I nodded, then frowned at his offering. “You’re giving me your shirt?”

“Do you not want it?” he asked.

“No, I do,” I said, bringing it to my nose. It didn’t smell as strongly as he did, but it was good enough. I untangled my limbs from him then scooted back. “Go say goodbye now. I can wait.”

“You’ll be okay?” he asked.

“I’m an omega, not a baby,” I said. “I’m not going to die if you go away for a few minutes.”

“That’s not what it seemed like earlier,” he laughed.

Heat came to my cheeks and I hid in his shirt, pulling on the massive garment over my nightgown. “Yes. Go,” I ordered. “Before I change my mind.”

“As you wish.” He rose from the bed, then walked out of the room, tracing his hand over the wall as he left to spread his scent further across the room.

I turned my neck into my shoulder and breathed in his scent, allowing it to relax me. This wasn’t so bad. I wasn’t thinking as clearly as I would’ve liked. My omega was taking over and the idea of my alpha leaving sounded much worse than it was. Really, none of this had been terrible at all. It was much better than spending a heat alone.

Sleep pulled at my consciousness, but I didn’t want to sleep until Laurence was back. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms, surrounded and protected by his scent, but my body was screaming at me to rest so I could prepare for tomorrow and the days that would follow. 

I started to drift in and out of sleep, barely hanging on to consciousness by a thread, when the door opened again, and Laurence walked back in. I blinked my eyes open, trying to peer through the dark, but the door shut again and plunged the room back int darkness. Laurence’s footsteps gradually grew louder, before his weight pressed down on the mattress and his arms wrapped back around me.

“You’re still awake?” he asked. 

“No,” I replied, relaxing into his and closed my eyes. “I’m sleeping,” I said.

“It’s late, you’re going to be exhausted tomorrow,” chided me.

I didn’t’ respond. Now that he was here, now that I had everything I needed, sleep was impossible to escape. I surrendered to it with a contented sigh, hoping that my heat would at the very least allow me to get a good night’s rest.

“Night,” I said.

Laurence said something back, but I drifted off before I could hear it.

***

I woke up feeling like I’d barely slept with my body on fire. The clothes I was wearing were too hot, and I was already drenched in sweat. Everything felt uncomfortable and sore, but the throbbing between my legs was the worst. There was more slick than I’d ever felt there before; as well as pulsating need that was driving me crazy.

I tried to move, but Laurence’s arms around me were keeping me still. I failed around weakly, and whined high in my throat, hoping it’d be enough to wake him, that it would get him to understand what I needed.

“Celeste?” he said voice heavy with sleep. “Are you okay?”

“Let me go,” I demanded. “Now.”

At once, his arms released me and I sat straight up in bed, tearing off his shirt and my nightgown and tossing them on the floor. Even with them off, I still felt like I was overheating, but at least it was easier to breathe. I turned around to look at Laurence and shuddered when his scent hit me. It’d soaked into the room overnight, becoming more and potent, and now I was surrounded in the best smelling thing in the world.

“Shit, you’re already-”

“Take off your clothes,” I said. Now.”

He started to move, but it was too slow for me. I needed something now. I lunged forward and yanked off his shirt myself then ran my hands down his chest, pressing down on the muscles I found there. A force inside me drove me to mark him, to stake my claim and show everyone that he was mine and I leaned forward to bite hard at his neck.

Even as I kissed and marked him, satisfying a whole storm of urges, I still needed him to touch me. Marking him wasn’t enough. “Laurence, I swear to god if you don’t start touching me, I’m going to kill you,” I threatened, tracing my lips over his neck to find a new place to bite.

My word finally got through to him and he moved, rolling us over so he was on top. He bent forward and bit his own mark onto my neck awhile his hands ran up and down my sides, promising more, but never delivering. My toes curled in delight and I clawed at his back in frustration. “Don’t tease me,” I gasped.

“Tease you?” he asked, tugging down his pants and underwear. “Why would I do that?”

What he was saying wasn’t important. No, all I cared about, all I needed, was the thick, throbbing cock between his legs. It was going to feel so good inside of me. God, was going to fuck me, going to knot me and it was going to be bliss. I tried to pull him in closer, but he resisted, staying perched above me and looking down with hungry eyes. I pulled again, but he still didn’t move.

 _Fuck it_ , I thought. _I need it now_. 

I reached down and pushed three fingers inside of myself, but before I could find a rhythm, Laurence pulled my hand away and pinned it next to my head.

“No,” he said. “Let me take care of you.”

“Then do something!” I whined. “Please!”

A happy sigh slid from his lips, but before I could think about what it meant or implied, his cock lined up with my entrance. His free hand gently grabbed my chin and he tilted my head up so I was looking him in the eyes.

“This is what you want right?”

“Laurence, alpha, please god please fuck-”

He slammed into me all at once, filling me to the point of near pain. He didn’t give me time to adjust before his hips were pumping in and out, setting a brutal pace while his mouth found one of my nipples and sucked it into his mouth. Moans and curses flew from my lips and he resealed my wrist, allowing to me cling to his shoulders while he fucked me. 

Everything faded away and all I could feel or think about was the drag of his cock inside of me and his weight above me. I never knew sex could feel this good, never knew that having an alpha for my heat would be this amazing. The feel of Laurence so deep inside of me, the smell of his lust, the loud, nearly feral noises he made combined into something nameless and powerful. It made me never want to stop.

“Good omega, you’re so good for me,” he whispered, his lips moving right next to my ear. “Does this feel good? Do you like it when your alpha fucks you?”

Oh god, the _words_. I didn’t know how he was talking when I was so speechless, but now that he’d started, I never wanted him to stop. I needed to hear his praises, needed him to tell me that I was good, that I was making him feel good. I whined high in my throat, hoping he’d understand and that the message was clear enough.

“Oh, you like that? Do you like it when I tell you how pretty you are? How good you make me feel?” he asked, punctuating each sentence with a hard thrust. “You’re the perfect omega. And you’re mine. All mine.”

The word ‘mine’ forced me over the edge. It felt like I was shoved over a cliff and falling, with only Laurence there to cling to. It was amazing, beyond all my wildest expectations.

And then I felt Laurence’s knot.

His cock press deep inside of me and it swelled, filling me completely. A low growl filled the room and his teeth sank into my neck inches above where he’d bite to bond me. He was no longer moving, but the feel of his cum gushing into me and his knot stretching me to my limits was enough to make me scream. Nothing should’ve felt this good. It must’ve been a sin to even feel like this.

Laurence spent a long minute cumming inside of me, but I had no objections. It felt good to be held, to let Laurence permeate and infiltrate every part of me. A warm feeling of affection bubbled up in my chest and I leaned up to kiss Laurence. It was soft and careful, filled with affection. 

It was exactly what I needed.

Laurence pulled away, then smiled down at me. “Can we change positions? It’s hard to hold myself up like this,” he said.

I laughed. Of all the things I’d expected to hear when his knot was stuck inside of me, that was the last one. His arms were shaking with the effort of holding himself so he didn’t crush me. I had to admire his will. He managed to get as far as knotting me without complaining. 

_Alpha is strong, he’s perfect_ , my omega whispered.

“Let’s,” I said.

He rolled me over, so I rested on top of his chest and I let out a quiet squeak of pleasure at the sudden jostling. Me being on top made his knot sink that much deeper and the new position had it pressing on all sorts of new places inside of me.

“Next time, I’m on top,” I panted out. Grinding my hips in little circles. I thought I’d be satisfied for at least a few minutes after the first orgasm he’d given me, but the heat was already back to licking at my core and my desire was far from sated. I could’ve waited until it drove me out of my mind with desire again, but why wait for a good thing? I already had Laurence’s cock inside of me and his body underneath mine. I could fuck myself until my heat faded and I was content. There was no reason to deny myself pleasure.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“Your knot,” I replied, raising my hips as much as I could before dropping them back down.

I grinned satisfaction when his eyes went wide, and a moan fell out of his mouth. It was nice to see him feeling good. It made me feel less selfish and needy. He liked what was happening too. The evidence was in his scent and quite literally inside of me.

“You’re insatiable,” he gasped. 

“I’m in heat. What did you expect?” I said.

“If it’s this I don’t mine.”

“You’re handsome,” I complimented him, brushing a spare bit of hair out of his face. It was something I’d noticed before, but it felt like a casual understanding. It was nothing like the sense I got now that I was in heat and on top of him.

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I warned.

He smiled. I’ll try.”


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of my heat was easy. Victoria made appearances periodically, leaving food and water for us outside the door. Not that I ever paid attention to what she brought. I was too wrapped up in Laurence and my heat to really pay attention. Not that I had to. Laurence made sure that every moment we didn’t spend sleeping or eating was one of pleasure. Our scents had become so thoroughly mixed in the room that it would’ve been easy to mistake us for bonded. It was amazing and perfect.

It wasn’t as great afterwards.

When my heat was over and I was back to walking around in the house, Laurence always hovered near me. If he wasn’t working or out of the house, he was close. He wanted to touch and scent me constantly, to the point where I had to make him swear to keep his distance and only scent me at night.

That only went so far to stop his hovering.

He was still polite and kind. He followed the contract he signed like he should’ve and never forced me to do anything but seeing him everywhere was starting to drive me crazy. After two weeks of it Was ready to scream. He noticed my rising frustration, but he couldn’t piece together why, even after I told him. It was like every time I told him to give me space, the request went in one ear and other the other.

Things came to head over breakfast. I was eating by myself, content with the relative silence of the house, when I heard Lawrence’s feet slapping against the stairs. I stabbed my eggs and eyed the door to the dining room. There was a chance he was leaving, and he was going to leave the house without bothering me, but that chance was low. I’d be lucky if I got away with a simple goodbye. That I could accept.

“Celeste?” Laurence called, poking his head through the door.

 _Of course, I was right_ , I thought. “Yes?” I said. “Do you need something?”

“Are you happy?” he asked, stepping into the room. 

“Excuse me?” I asked. “Could you repeat that? I don’t think I understood.

“Are you happy?”

So, I had heard him right. I pushed my eggs around my plate and thought. How was I supposed to respond to this? It was like I was told to walk across a frozen lake without being told how thick the ice was. One mistake would have me plunging through and have everything go wrong. Telling him I wasn’t happy had bad implications but lying and saying I thought everything was perfect might’ve been worse. It might make him linger around me even more.

“Happy how?” I asked. “That can mean a lot of things.”

“With being here. Me. Everything really,” he said, crossing his arms.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I need more time to think about it.”

“You do?” he asked. “Why?” He sounded genuinely confused about why I couldn’t supply him with an answer. I could hardly believe it. 

“Yes. Of course. Everything I still so,” I gestured in the air, searching for a word. “It’s a mess. I don’t know how to feel. It hasn’t even been a month.”

“But you let me spend your heat with you. Doesn’t that mean something?” he asked. “You wouldn’t have let me if you weren’t happy with me,” he proclaimed.

“Yes, but my biology doesn’t tell me whether or not I’m happy. I do,” I said. “It’s not like it’s either on or off. It’s complicated.”

He looked confused. Like what I said was contradictory. “Biology must do something. Mine does. My alpha tells me that you’re the most attractive person I’ve met and that I want to be around you all the time.”

 _Figured that one out myself_ , I thought.

“Look, we can talk about this later after I’ve had time to think. I don’t want to right now,” I said. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the conversation was going nowhere good. We were going to run in circles and all it would lead to was us both getting frustrated.

“Why? You’re my mate, can’t we at least talk about how we feel?”

“That’s not the point,” I hissed. “I said I don’t want to talk about it. Let it go.”

“Why can’t we communicate? I let you do whatever you want, the least you could do is tell me how you feel.”

“You really want to know?” I said. “Because if I tell you and you get mad, it’s going to be your fault,” I warned.

“So long as what you’re saying makes sense,” he said.

“Oh, so you’re going to be the arbiter of whether or not my emotions make sense?” I asked, my anger rising. “That makes sense. You should’ve started with that one.”

“That’s now what I meant!” he said, raising his voice.

I stood up from my chair. “So, what did you mean? Explain.”

“I- look I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to be mad at you. Can you please tell me your reasons why you’re not happy? I want to fix them,” he said.

“Oh my god, I told you how to fix them!” I shouted, losing my temper. “Give me time! I’m a person, not a pet. You can’t drop me somewhere brand new and expect everything to be fine!”

“I didn’t do that!” he yelled back. “I’m not expecting anything to be fine! I only want to help!”

“Well, you’re doing a great job right now. Really killing it Laurence.”

He was about to say something, but instead, he glowered, turned on his heel, and retreated from the room. I heard the front door slam a few seconds later.

I slumped back down in my seat and pushed my food away, my appetite ruined. That’d gone even worse than I pictured it in my head. He kept pushing even after I told him to drop it. There was no way he’d be able to handle me opening up about my problems if he got pissed at me for mentioning I needed time. 

I picked up my plate and walked into the kitchen, dropped it into the sink, and scrubbed it viciously, trying to take all my anger out on the porcelain. I could’ve punched something right now, but this was better. More productive. Punching things wouldn’t make anything better.

“You don’t have to scrub that so hard,” Victoria called out. “Didn’t I tell you that you don’t have to do dishes?”

“I want to,” I replied.

“Okay, that’s fine. You still don’t have to scrub it like it killed your father though. I think it’s clean enough.”

“Why are you here?” I snapped. “What do you want?”

“Your argument with Mister Astor was rather explosive. I came down to check on you,” she said. “I’m guessing it didn’t end well?”

“You heard it’s ending I said, dropping the dish into the sink and turning around. 

My retort died on my tongue. God, what was wrong with me? I couldn’t take out my anger on Victoria. She’d done nothing wrong. She’d been nothing but nice to me since the day I came. “I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I’m stressed.”

“I can tell. Do you want to talk about it? You’ve been like this for days now.”

“Not really,” I said. “But I don’t think you’re going to accept that.”

“No, if you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask,” she said. “I have something else that might help. Come with me,” she said, disappearing into the living room.

I lingered where I was and debated whether to follow. There was no reason I had to go, but if nothing else, I’d rather be miserable with Victoria than miserable alone.

I went to the living room, my shoulders slumped, and saw Victoria standing near the door, putting on her shoes.

“You need to get out,” she said. “You’ve been cooped up here for too long. I think it’d make you feel better. Isabel and I are going to the city today. You should come with us.”

“Now?” I asked. 

“Are you busy?” she said, standing up and raising a brow.

“No! No, I’ll go,” I said. Getting out sounded nice. Being in the house right now reminded me of Laurence when all I wanted to do was get my mind off him. It’d been a while since I’d visited the city too. It’d be good to see more people than the three I lived with too.

“You can get changed if you’d like, but the clothes you have on now are fin if you’d like to go right away,” she said.

I looked down my dress and nodded. It was light and perfect for the summer heat. I put on my shoes and grabbed a wide-brimmed sun hat from the hat rack. “Let’s go,” I said.

We Isabel at the stables. She’d already hooked up the horses to the carriage and offered to be our driver. It was more of a matter of practicality than kindness. Victoria said she could drive, but by the look Isabel gave her, I had my doubts. 

The three of us piled into the carriage and Isabel guided it onto the bumpy road and towards the city. The further we got away from the manor, the more relaxed I felt. I close my eyes and relaxed in my seat, enjoying the heat of the sunk as it warmed my skin. It was nice to be almost alone, to not have to think about Laurence or the manor for once. Victoria has been right when she said I needed a break.

“Is there anything you want to buy? We don’t have too much extra money, but we can spare some,” Victoria said.

“No. Maybe we can food, but nothing fancy,” I said. “It’s just nice to be out. I didn’t even know I needed this.”

Victoria smiled and patted me on the back, leaned back in her seat and looking at the huge puffy clouds overhead. “I miss the city sometimes. Mr. Astor is so far away from it that it’s hard to go as much as I’d like. It’s a nice place. 

Isabel snorted. “It’s polluted and dirty. Out here is nicer.”

“You just your garden,” Victoria argued. 

The two bickered back and forth lightheartedly, occasionally trying to bring me into the conversation as well. I made a few jokes but was content to lay in the sun and get lost in my own thoughts. It’d been too long since I’d been to the city myself. Every time I’d gone there before it’d been for business. I thought I was owed at least one trip for pleasure.

Signs of the city stared appearing after thirty minutes, and after an hour I saw it looming ahead of us. I could see thick black plumes of smoke rising overhead, but the smog that typically sat over the city was lighter today. I wondered what changed to make that so.

When we entered the city limits and began to be dwarfed by the buildings, I almost gagged. The smell of the city was even worse than I remembered, but I’d adjust quickly. The closer we were to the center, the easier it’d be to breathe. The outskirts were where all the trash was dumped, and factories were. It wasn’t a surprise that its smell reflected that.

Other carriages passed by us and soon we were weaving through crowded streets. Isabel guided us along for another few minutes, before stopping in front of a store.

“Meet me back here in three hours’ time,” Isabel said. “If you want to leave earlier, you can find me near the outskirts where we came in. Be on time. If you’re late here when I come back to pick you up, I’m going to leave you.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t leave me!” Victoria teased, wrapping her arms around Isabel. “You like me too much.”

Isabel smiled and shook her head, waving off Isabel, but I could see the faint blush that decorated her cheeks. “Go on now, you’re wasting time,” she said.

Victoria and I exited the carriage and as soon as our feet were on the ground, Victoria was off. She grabbed my hand and tugged me behind her as she hurried through the streets. One or two glances were passed our way, but they didn’t stay long. It was a relief. For once, I was just another face in the crowd. I didn’t have to talk or answer anyone.

Victoria led me into a myriad of shops and purchased a bizarre combination of items. There were cooking spices that I assumed were for Jacques, but there were also random pieces of jewelry, knick-knacks that I didn’t see the art in, and a small painting of a rose. I’d thought we were going to the city to pick up food for the house or something of the sort, but Victoria told me that Isabel was taking care of that while we got the other essentials.

I decided that, when it came to Victoria, the word essential should be used very loosely.

We spent a good hour shopping before Vitoria led me out of my last shop and told us we were finished. I breathed a sigh of relief and waited for more instructions. My stomach rumbled and I hoped that now I could get the tea that I was promised.

“Hungry?” Vitoria asked.

“A bit,” I said. 

She nodded. “We’re close to the edge of the city, so I want to drop all this stuff off before I join you. Pick a teashop and order me something, I shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes,” she said.

“I saw one across the street, is there fine?” I asked, relieved to be able to sit down and take a break.

“Of course! I’ll see you there soon,” she said. She then crossed the streets and disappeared around a corner, the mess of bags in her hands clutched tight.

It felt nice to be alone in the city. I was surrounded by people and Victoria was coming back but leaving me alone in a place like this was something both my mother and Laurence would have refused to allow. I appreciated that Victoria and Isabel took me seriously enough to not always hover.

I crossed the street and entered the teashop, then ordered. The waitress told me she’d bring my tea soon and I took a seat at an empty table for two. It was in the back corner mostly hidden from the other patrons, and was in my opinion, the best spot in the place. There was no one to bother me and I could stare out the window and watch all the people go by. A minute passed and a waitress appeared with tea and pastry I ordered. Both were excellent. When I left today, I’d make sure that I looked the sign so I could come back.

A few minutes passed in peaceful silence, but then the hair at the back of my neck stood up at its end. It felt like I was being watched, but I didn’t know by who. I looked outside first, making sure there was no outside first before I searched the rest of the tea shop. Halfway through my first sweep, my eyes locked with an older looking man. His hair was thinning on top of his head, but his clothes and jewelry, as well as the people he was talking to, spoke of wealth.

He winked at me and stood up from his chair. 

I whipped away, praying that he wasn’t about to come my way, but of course, it wasn’t answered. I could hear his footsteps slapping against the floor as he came towards me. My grip tightened on my cup and I cursed silently to myself. Why me? Why couldn’t I have one day where I could relax?

“Where is your alpha?” he asked from behind me. 

Now that he was close, I could smell his scent drifting through the air. A huge dump of adrenaline made me want to stand up and scream. This wasn’t just a man. It was an alpha. An alpha who smelled repugnant and awful and whose scent carried with it unmistakable smell of lust. I wrinkled my nose and stared straight ahead, choosing not to acknowledge him and hoping that it was enough to make him go away. 

“Are you deaf omega? Where is your alpha?” he said, raising his voice as he took another step closer.

I still refused to move. Maybe I should pretend to be deaf. Would that get him to leave me alone?

“I’m talking to you!” he snarled, grabbing my shoulder and squeezing.

“Get your hands off of me!” I hissed, slapping at his hand and looking over my shoulder with a glare.

“Oh, so you can talk,” he said, squeezing my shoulder tighter. “Where is your alpha?” he asked.

“That’s not your concern. Let go of me. Now,” I ordered. My eyes darted around the restaurant, hoping someone would notice the scent and step in, but everyone was pointedly looking away from me. I shouldn’t have expected anything different. Of course, no one was going to get in the way of a rich alpha talking to someone, no matter how uncomfortable the person he was talking to looked.

“I could smell him on you know. All I want to do is find him. Maybe ask why he’s letting a pretty little thing like you run around unsupervised. Or maybe you’re not his. I don’t see a bond mark on you. I could help with that you know, I’ve been looking for a new omega,” he said.

I shuddered in disgust and dug my nails hard his hand, raking them down while darted up from my chair and away from him. He yanked his hand back with a hiss of pain, but he didn’t make any other move to retreat. 

“Oh, so that’s how you want to play? There is no need to play hard to get.”

“I have a mate. You’re barking up the wrong tree,” I said. “Back. Off.”

“Then, where is he?” he said, closing in, forcing me back until I was pressed against a wall. There was nowhere to escape. Everyone was still ignoring me. I was alone. “That could be any alpha’s scent and If you’re okay with allowing anyone to scent me, allow me to add some of my own.”

It wasn’t a request and there was nothing I could to do stop him when he lifted his wrist and pressed it against my arm. He dragged it upward until it drifted across my neck. His scent clouded the air around me and I almost choked on it. His proximity and scent made me want to vomit. Maybe I should. If I vomited all over him, he’d stop.

Before I could summon up the courage to do it, a loud domineering voice pierced the air, freezing the alpha in his track and sending sweet relief coursing through me.

It was Isabel. 

“Sir, get your hands off of her!”

The alpha glanced over his shoulder, watching as she stalked towards us, fury written over every inch of her body. “How dare you do something like this to a lady. What’s wrong with you?” she yelled.

He broke away from me and turned to face her, giving my own space back and allowing me to breathe. “Excuse me? I was having a personal conversation with this omega. I was doing nothing wrong.”

“You’re a damn creep,” I shouted, finding my own courage. “I told you I was mated, but you’re scenting me and pinning me to walls! My mate will hear about this!” I screamed.

“Shut up omega,” he said with a snarl. You don’t-

“Stop!” the owner of the teashop shouted, breaking away from behind the counter and striding to the center of the room. He pointed a finger at the three of us. “I don’t know what the problem is, but you’re not to fight in my shop! All of you get out this instant!” 

“You’re allowing this alpha to assault an omega; we shouldn’t have to go!” Isabel objected. “It’s his fault, we’ve done nothing wrong!” 

The alpha seethed with rage and shoved a finger in Isabel’s face. “You’re a filthy li-”

“All of you out! Or I’ll call the police!” the owner screamed.

The threat was enough to get the alpha to move away from me with a snarl. He walked up the shop owner and toward above him, looking down at the man with angry eyes. “You’ll be hearing from me again. I’m a member of the English family. You’ve picked the wrong man to disrespect!” 

_English_. I repeated the name over and over and over in my head, committing it to memory. I wasn’t going to let his go either. At the very least I would tell Laurence. I had no idea what he could even do, but I had no doubt he’d find something.

“Let’s go, Celeste,” Isabel said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the door. The alpha tried to step in front of her, but I was fast enough to stick my foot out and force him to trip before he could. Howls of outrage poured out behind us, but we were already out of the building and running down the streets, away from the tea shop and to the carriage.

_God, why can’t I have one good day? Have I done something wrong?_

God didn’t answer.


	10. Chapter 10

All I could think about on the trip back was getting back to the house and scrubbing my skin until the scent of the other Alpha vanished. It clung to my skin and no matter how much I tried to ignore it, it made itself known. At least Laurence’s scent never bothered me like this. His never made me feel dirty and violated.

Victoria had apologized a dozen times for leaving me alone and even when I told her it wasn’t her fault; I knew she didn’t believe me. Not that I blamed her. No matter how many times and in what way I thanked Isabel, it didn’t feel like enough.

It all served to make me even angrier. That piece of shit alpha had done more than violate me. He’d made my friends, some of the few I’ve made in years, upset and antsy. It made me want to turn the carriage around, hunt him down, and castrate him. He probably more than deserve it. There was no way I was the only omega he’d done that too.

My anger kept me occupied during the trip back, making it feel much shorter than it was. When the carriage jerked to a halt, I leapt out of it and hurried inside, Victoria by my side. I would’ve waited for Isabel, but I needed to get the scent off now and Isabel would want her own time alone.

I pushed open the door and was forced to stop three steps into the door. Laurence blocked the way forward, his arms crossed and expression dark.

God this day kept getting worse.

“Where were you?” Laurence asked.

“She was with me. We were-”

“Victoria. Please leave us alone,” Laurence said, holding up a hand.

My anger flared. “No. She’s staying with me. I want her here.”

Laurence looked strain and his scent took on an unpleasant edge, reminding me even more of the alpha’s scent clinging to my skin. “Fine. Why didn’t you tell me you were going?” he asked. 

“I’m not bound to this house. I can leave if I want,” I said. “I wanted a day out. Now can we please be done with this?” 

“God, Celeste do you hear yourself? What am I supposed to think!” Laurence shouted. You come back from the city reeking of another alpha and you’re not even saying anything about it! It’s just- what happened? Why aren’t you telling me things?”

“What- do you think I’m having an affair?” I asked in disbelief. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

“It’s possible, isn’t it? You’ve made it clear how you feel about me and then you ran off. Can you blame me for thinking it’s possible?”

“God you’re- you’re fucking unbelievable!” I screamed, throwing out my arms in rage. “Do you trust me that little? Do you think I’m so kind of whore? If you have to know, I smell like this because an alpha forced me against a wall and scented me, not because I wanted it! All I wanted to do was fucking drink my tea!”

Laurence’s eyes almost bugged out of his. “An alpha did-”

“No, shut up, I’m not finished,” I shouted. “This is the exact thing I was worried about, the exact thing I told you I hated. You’re being possessive and acting like I’m a fragile toy that needs to be protected! Do you really think Victoria and Isabel would have let me go and cheat? The only reason what happened today wasn’t worst is because they saved me. But you don’t care. You’re too busy worrying about your goddamn _claim_!”

“I’m not worried about my claim! I couldn’t care less about it! I care about you. I like you. I want you to be with me, but you make it so hard! It’s like no matter what I do, there is something wrong with it!” he yelled back.

“You just accused me of having an affair!”

“No, I said it was possible! I was going to let you explain! We haven’t been together long, and you’ve avoided me and told me to not be near you for the past two weeks. You haven’t told me why you just acted like I suddenly started to disgust you. I want to make you happy and-” He sniffed the air and his eyes turned murderous. “Tell me who the alpha is that touched you too? If I was there, I would’ve torn his throat out, but I’ll settle for something else now,” He growled. 

“No, we can talk about that later,” I said, happy that at least he planned to do something about that. “Right now, we’re dealing with how you treat me now. This is the same thing I’ve told you about a million times. You’re doing all the things I hate.”

“Celeste, please I’ve done my best to listen to you! I have. I’ve tried so hard and I let you do whatever you want! I don’t care if you want to go to the city alone, but you can’t forbid me to worry about you. You’re my mate!”

“Only because I didn’t have a choice!” 

The oppressive anger in the room vanished. Laurence’s shoulder slumped down, and his head dropped so he was staring at the floor. He lifted a hand and dragged it down his face, then lowered himself to the floor and sat, his head in his hands.

“If you don’t want to be with me, you can leave,” he said. “I want to make you happy and if you hate being with me then I won’t force you. I thought I could be better, give you something you didn’t even know you wanted. I was a fool to think that was true.”

My jaw almost dropped. Was I hearing him right? “Say that again.”

“You can leave. I’ll accept the shame for our failed matehood. I’m sorry for ever having kept you,” Laurence said.

I waited for more, but Laurence remained silent on the floor. I could tell he was trying to rein in his scent, but it was still heavy with stress and sadness. It didn’t look like he was going to say more. He was truly done.

His words repeated over and over in my head. I could leave. I could go back home to my mother and run the store with her like I always planned. My entire life was open again. It was what I wanted from the very beginning.

So why didn’t I want to go?

Victoria cleared her throat. “Do you still need me here?” she asked, shifting back and forth. “I’m not sure that I should be… involved in this.”

“Right. You can leave,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

She walked by me and clapped a hand over my shoulder but remained silent otherwise. “I’ll run you a bath she said,” vanishing up the stairs.

I turned back to Laurence. He still wasn’t looking at me. 

My omega wanted to comfort him. To sit down next to him and tell him that things were going to be okay. That I hadn’t met to yell or hurt your feelings. But all of that would’ve felt like…maybe not a lie, but definitely not the truth either. I was at war with myself and I had no idea what to do.

“English was his family name,” I said. “He was balding with fancy clothes. His scent was sour and gross. I don’t remember the name of the teashop, but it was at the edge of the city.”

Laurence grunted in acknowledgment. I waited for more, some sort of confirmation that he was going to do something, but that wasn’t what I got.

“Is there something else?” he asked.

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay. You can keep your ring if you want it too. Or you can sell it. I don’t care,” he said. “Now if there’s nothing else could you please leave?”

What was I supposed to do other than just that? In a daze, I walked up the stairs and into my room. Before I entered, the scent of the alpha who’d scented me wafted up to my nose. I almost vomited again. Bath first. Victoria would be there.

“There you are,” Victoria said when I opened the door. “The baths hot. You should have everything you need,” she said. 

“Thank you,” I said, still feeling like someone had hollowed out my insides.

She pulled me into an unexpected and fierce hug. “It’s going to be okay,” she said. “No matter what you do it will be. I promise.”

There was no way I could believe her, but the reassurance was still nice. Her arms around me were good too. It helped fill in some of the emptiness inside of me, replacing it with a pleasant warmth.

“Do you really think you’re going to leave?” she asked. 

“I don’t know,” I said. I let my head rest on her shoulder. “I just don’t know.”


	11. Chapter 11

Sleeping was impossible. It was the third straight day of lying awake and failing to fall into it. Laurence and I only brushed path at mealtimes now, but neither of us stayed long. I could tell he didn’t know why I was still in his house, but he never said anything about it. He didn’t even look at me. Our daily ritual of scenting faded to the wayside and we became more like a renter and her landlord than mates.

Everyone in the house was aware of the divide between Laurene and me, but it was a taboo topic, only talked about in whispers when they thought Laurence and I weren’t paying attention. It was hard to blame them. The iciness between them wasn’t making their jobs any easier and it set everyone on edge.

Every night when I retired to my room, I tried to think of a reason why I shouldn’t go. Victoria helped me pack my things and I was ready to leave whenever I gave the word, but I could never get as far as saying it. It was my omega’s fault. All instinct. I couldn’t help that I’d become comfortable here and that Laurence appealed to some primal part of me. There was no way I could control any of those things. I couldn’t be blamed.

At least that’s what I told myself.

I’d considered trying to talk to hash out my dispute with Laurence again, but that couldn’t go well. He’d take it as me berating him before I went or an admission that I planned on staying. I was trapped in a rock and a hard place and there was no way out that wouldn’t make everything hurt worse.

“Fuck,” I whispered, pressing my palms against my eyes until stars bloomed behind my lids. I needed to make a choice, if for no other reason than so I could sleep again. There had to be _something_ I could do to get Laurence to talk again while snugging out any expectations.

Someone wrapped on my door. 

I made no move to get up. Victoria could wait for whatever she needed tomorrow. It was late. Probably. It didn’t really matter. She was going to stand there patiently for a minute, then walk away when I didn’t answer. I felt rude doing it to her, but I didn’t want to get out of bed. I’m sure she’d understand. 

Another knock came.

God whatever it was better have been important. If Victoria dragged me out of bed for something minor, I was going to seal myself off in my room for the rest of my life. “What?” I called out. “What do you need?”

“Can we talk?”

It was Laurence. Oh god, it was Laurence. I should’ve pretended to be asleep, but now that I made a noise, I couldn’t just ignore him.

“Why?” I asked. “What is there to talk about?”

“If for no other reason to give us both peace. I know you’re not sleeping well either.”

“We can talk find like this. Say your piece.”

“Celeste, please. At least open the door.”

Admittedly, that was a better idea. The distance and wood between us would muffle conversation and I wouldn’t be able to see his face or take in his scent. Tracking his feelings would be closer to impossible. All those reasons served as a decent reason not to open the door too.

 _You have to at least try_ , I thought. _This is what you wanted. Another conversation. He came to you. Hearing him out can’t be that bad._

I got out of bed and stumbled to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open. Laurence stood a few feet away, his hair disheveled and his clothes wrinkled. Darks bags sat under his eyes and he looked about as exhausted as I felt.

“Celeste,” he said. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

He cleared his throat and looked around like there was a fairy who was about to appear with the cue cards for the rest of the conversation. After staring off into space and avoid my eyes for a solid minute, he met them.

“You haven’t left yet.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Is this what you wanted to talk about?”

“No!” he almost shouted. No. I wanted to, I wanted to see how I could make you stay longer. I came to…apologize. For the way I’ve been acting,” he said. “I want to be better. I want you to be happy.”

How did he still like me? It made no sense. He was masochist in his attempt to win me over. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he enjoyed it.

“How are you going to do that?” I asked.

“We could start by talking one another again, I think. Maybe not yelling during arguments.”

“It’s hard not to when you accuse me of being unfaithful.”

“I was wrong, but you’re not totally in the right either,” he accused. “I’ve thought about this. I know you didn’t come here of your own free will, but you make it so hard to know how to treat you. You say you hate me and then you wonder in my room at night. You tell me to go but never explain why. It’s- I never know what to do.”

“This isn’t my fault,” I said.

“That’s now what I’m saying! You got to tell me how you feel, so will you listen to me? Please?” he asked.

I bit my lip. “Fine.”

He took a deep breath. “I’ve tried to do right by you, I’ve given you everything I thought you wanted. Our mating was- it could’ve gone better. That was my fault. But now things are different. I told you you could leave and that I’d take the blame, but you’re still here. What am I supposed to think? It’s like you’re pulling at my strings and I’m turning in a million directions without ever having a chance to see what’s in front of me. Every time I thought something was true, it turned out to be a lie. Is it wrong of me to ask for us to talk more? To tell one another things and not suffer in silence? How am I supposed to do right by you if you don’t tell me how you feel?”

“I’ve told you how I feel,” I pointed out. “I’ve been clear.”

“Maybe to you,” he said. “But can you blame me for being confused? We had sex and after you no longer want to touch me. You tell me to leave me alone, but don’t let me know why. You- you suffer when I should’ve been there to protect you and you feel like you can’t tell me. It- it hurts,” he admitted, looking down at the floor.

“I want to be treated like a person,” I said. “I want to be your equal. I don’t want to be just your mate. I want to be me. I am Celeste first. I like you near, but I want you to give me space. I- it’s hard Laurence. I came here and I didn’t know what to do. I’d never met another alpha before. I have all these strange instincts to deal with that I’ve never had to and they never get any easier to understand. That’s why I gave such mixed signals and that’s- it might be why I’m staying. I don’t know.”

Laurence leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even further. 

“What if we tried again? Started over,” he asked.

“How?”

“I don’t know, I still feel like we barely know each other. We can pretend, talk more. If you tell me to do something, I’ll do my best to understand and listen. We can restart.” He looked up at me and I could see the determination in his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, Celeste. I want to give you the life you wanted I’m going to try. I swear it. There will be no terms this time. No contracts. We can just be us.”

It seemed too good to be true. It was so hard to believe the conversation we were having. I expected more yelling, perhaps another fight, but this was… nice. There was something bout it that felt different from all the others we had. There was no pressure here. No need to conform or play games. It was just Laurence and me in a dark hallway.

“I- maybe. You have to swear one more thing though,” I said.

“Anything.”

“If I want to leave, you can’t stop me. Even if I say yes now and I change my mind, you can’t hold any of this over me. If we’re going to be equals than I need that more than anything else.”

“I swear to God I will,” he said. “I will tell Jacques, Victoria, and Isabel too. I will give them money in case I ever try, so they all can leave and take you with them. I swear it. I’ll write the checks now if I must.”

It was music to my ears. It was a real way out if I needed it, freely given by a man who admits he wants me to stay. I could work with it. It was a place to start.

“I promise I’ll talk more,” I said. “I’ll answer your questions and tell you when and why I want things. I’ll do my best to be clear from now on,” I said. “We can- I’m willing to try.”

Laurence’s smile could have lit up the night. Some of the tiredness he carried before seemed to drain and he stood up straight.

“Thank you,” he said. He stared to take a step forward, then stopped. “Celeste?” he asked.

“Yes?”

“May I hug you?’

I should’ve said no. It was a terrible idea. An awful place to start if we promised one another a new beginning, a promise didn’t make the memories of being in his arms fade. It didn’t stop me from thinking about how easy it was to get to sleep when he was holding me.

He took another tentative step forward, then slowly reached out to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his back and pulled him into a proper hug, earing any lingering doubts he had. His arms dropped to my back and he held me tight.

“I missed this,” he said.

“Me too.”

His scent was becoming happy and light and I no objections to breathing it in. As I expected, it relaxed me, soothing the jagged edges of my mind that prevented me from sleep. My omega purred at the contact and insisted that there was no reason there couldn’t be even more.

I was too tired to fight her suggestion.

I pulled my head away and looked up into Laurence’s eyes. Then, in a burst of courage, I stood on my toes and kissed him. 

It felt good.

He kissed back.

He kissed back and things started to heat up faster than I could have anticipated. I didn’t know how much the distance between us bothered me until I had his lips back on mine. It was food to a starving man, and I wanted more. More of everything. More of the Laurence who listened, who tried to understand, who wanted to be fair.

More of my mate.

“God Celeste,” he said, pulling away from me and looking down with dilated eyes. “Can I do more? Can I touch you?”

“Yes, I said, diving back in for another kiss.

We moved back into my room and Laurence kicked the door shut behind him. My knees hit the back of my bed and I went down pulling him with me. I let him perch above me as he kissed all over my face and then down my neck, taking care to have only the faintest hint of teeth behind each bite.

“I want to go slow this time. To listen to your body and have you tell me what to do,” he whispered in my ear. “Will you let me do that?”

“This is a bad idea,” I said.

He pulled away. “You want to stop?” he asked.

“No, I said, fisting my hands in his shirt and pulling him back down. “We can go slow.”

He reached down to the bottom of ht my nightgown and tugged it up and off. I lifted my hips to help. He abandoned his shirt soon after that and then we were naked, laid bare before each other.

“You’re gorgeous. I don’t know how got so lucky,” he said, bending down and licking over one of my nipples. He took it into his mouth hand swirled his tongue around the sensitive bud, coxing a stream of moans out from me. His scent was once again covering me and mixing with my own. I didn’t know how I’d ever gone without it.

“Come on, get to it,” I moaned, pushing at his shoulders. 

His answer was to gently clamp my nipple between his teeth and I shuddered in pleasure. His other hand moved up to roll my other nipple around his fingers, but the wet heat of his mouth and the sharpness of his teeth was far more exciting.

“Harder,” I urged, “God harder please.”

His teeth bit in just that more and I groaned my approval. He went on like that for a while, kissing and kneading my chest, until both my nipples were so sensitive a single touch had me shivering.

His lips finally pulled away from my chest, but he wasn’t done. His hands kept rubbing over them while he continued to kiss lower and lower, nipping and kissing until he was poised over my legs. He looked up at me, his eyes clouded with lust, and I parted my legs, wanting nothing more t to have him between them.

He wasted no time dragging his tongue over my core, but It was a lazy swipe, lacking the pressure he knew I needed to get off. He didn’t seem interested in a hurry to correct that. “I’ll never get enough of this,” he growled lowly. “God do you know how good you smell? It was like you were made to be irresistible.”

“God stop talking and-”

His lips finally closed in around my clit, but his tongue stayed back, denying me what I wanted. Even so, the gentle suction and pressure had me kicking and twisting until his hands moved to my hips to hold me still. Then— the utter bastard—pulled away from my clit and went back to licking up my folds.

“Laurence you’re evil,” I moaned. “God, why are you doing this?”

“I told you it’d be slow,” he said. “I’m fulfilling my promise as proof that the others are just as good.”

My head flopped against the pillows and I let him work, only moving my hands to his hair to keep him there. If this was is promise than I’d let him fulfill it.

I’d get my revenge when he was done.


	12. Chapter 12

Things got better.

Laurence still hovered, but when I informed of it, he backed off. He let me have my space and did his best not to put me in uncomfortable positions. In turn, I was better at communicating and telling him how I felt. Over the past month, we’d argued t at least twice a week. But the anger from them didn’t linger anymore. We had our argument, stormed off, and then we were talking it out an hour later.

It was progress.

We also began touching more or rather, I started touching him more. It started off with me crawling into his bed to sleep sharing a bed at night, but it’d gradually begun to escalate. When the urge came to touch him, I didn’t deny myself. I gave my omega a bit more control and so far, it seemed to be a perfect idea. Laurence was happier, I was calmer, and the obnoxious internal voice had backed off to where it belonged. 

The best thing that happened, the one thing I was happiest to win after we talked, was the right to truly work alongside Laurence. His work was complicated, but I picked up on it quickly and it gave me something to do. That and nothing made me happier than seeing the faces of Alphas and betas when they found out that I had helped on a proposal. A few of them refused to work with Laurence after they were told, but more came to replace them. I couldn’t be sure if it was out of curiosity or respect, but I assumed the latter because I’d begun to collect my own list of contacts.

Running in the same circles as Laurence also allowed me to find out more about the alpha who pinned and scented me. I found out his name was Greg English. He was a rich and lazy man, a member and a member of one of the richest families in the city. His behavior towards omegas wasn’t common knowledge, but some of the alpha’s had come forward to tell me their mates had suffered the same or worse at his hands. The problem was that none of them knew what to do or knew that others had suffered the same. 

I planned on correcting that. 

I’d taken up writing anonymous letters to the mates of alphas I’d talked to, requesting they send any replies to the post office labeled with a pseudonym. The omega’s talked among one another and it wasn’t long before I had around 20 letters, all detailing a story about Greg that was much the same as mine. I watched as the whispers about Greg turned into conversations, that turned into rumors that people spoke brazenly of.

Then, Laurence told me he had a surprise.

He didn’t tell me what it was, but as soon as I walked into a meeting and saw Greg, his thinning hair slicked back and his face smug, I knew what it was. I looked around the room and saw that it was filled with the alpha’s who’d been some of the first to tell me about his actions. On the way through the building, I’d seen a staggering amount of omega’s in the lobby, talking among one another.

I knew _exactly_ what was going to happen.

Greg didn’t.

It was like he didn’t notice the hostility in the room directed towards him. That or he was too busy leering at me with hungry eyes. He’d made a few snide remarks about me, but nothing bad enough to start a scene over. There was no need to spoil his surprise so early. 

When the meeting ended, an alpha stopped to whisper something in Laurence’s ear before he Left. Laurence nodded and then everyone else in the room except for me, Greg, and Laurence remained. As soon as the door shut, Greg was on his feet. 

“Mister Astor. I wished I could say it was pleasant to see you in person, but I see you’ve only let your mate become even more… out of control. It’s not a good look,” he said. 

My blood boiled. He was everything I hated. He treated me like an object, something not even worth acknowledging with anything more than lust. I tried to hold my tongue, but despite my best efforts, I failed.

“I’m going to ruin your life,” I snapped, slamming my palms against the table. “You’re a rat bastard of a man. You deserve even worse than what I can give you!”

“Shut up omega. The alphas are talking.”

“Do not tell her to shut up!” Laurence shouted. “You will listen to her. She is your equal.”

Greg let out a derisive laugh. “Or what? What are you going to do to me? Start a fight? I dare you. I’d love to see how your standing was afterward.”

“I should do it,” Laurence said. “You attacked my mate and then hide like a cower. It’d be within my rights.”

“If I was hiding, then how did you find me?” Greg countered. “That doesn’t make much sense to me. Right here, right now, it’s your word against mine. You’re dead in water,” he said smugly.

Oh, how he wrong was. He was right to be confident for how long he’d gotten away with it, but all good things had to come to an end. He was a fool to think he could go on forever and I couldn’t wait to wipe that look off his face. 

“Fuck you,” I said, stained up in my chair. 

“How dare you! I’m going to-”

I blocked him out and grabbed Laurence’s hand, pulling him from the room and slamming it shut behind him. He was fuming, but he wouldn’t try anything physical. Not when Laurence was there. He would continue screaming in rage at us though.

We bid a hasty retreat down the hallway and the door opened behind us. Greg chased after us, screaming bloody murder, but he wasn’t moving fast enough to close in on us. We rushed down the stairs and entered into the lobby that was now crawling with people. All eyes turned to us, but then attention shifted to Greg shout behind us. 

“What happens if he runs?” someone asked. “Will this all be for nothing? Will we not get any justice?”

“No,” Laurence replied, pushing to in to join the crowd. “If he runs, we’ll all see his cowardice. We’re getting him either way.”

Greg appeared at the top of the stairs and insult on ready on his lips. He went silent when he saw the sea of people below him. Everyone on the floor looked up and their scents became hostile.

The room went quiet and I could see him searching for words. But really, what was there to say? This was the court of public opinion. Nothing he’d say mattered anymore and his silence spoke volumes. He knew why he was here. Knew what he did to each and every omega in the room. After this, the word would spread even further than it already had. I had no idea what would happen after, it was anyone’s guess, but it couldn’t be anything good.

The English family wouldn’t appreciate the shame being brought to their name

I couldn’t have been happier.

I turned and gave Laurence a quick kiss. He was a small part of this, but I only had the access because of him. Either way, I scored in a victory and I was going to revel in it.

“You fucking _bitch_ ,” he screamed, pointing a finger at me. “You-”

The room erupted in an uproar. Curses and accusations flew through the air, drowning out anything else Greg tried to say. He was swept away in the chaos of the room, just as powerless as he made the omegas he attacked feel. I gave him my cheeriest smile and waved.

I’d won.


	13. Chapter 13

I couldn’t imagine leaving anymore.

The thought occurred to me late at night, when I was laying in Laurence’s bed with my head on top of his chest. I’d woken up sometime in the middle of the night, but once my mind started down that track of thought, I couldn’t find sleep again. 

Laurence really had gotten better. He’d done exactly what he promised, and I’d never been happier. It took time and more fights than I could count, but how we worked now felt natural. Laurence no longer needed to ask me how I felt about every little thing, he knew me enough to figured it out himself.

The house has become a real home too. Jacques, Isabel, and Victoria had all become my friends. They and my network of contacts kept me busy. There was never a week where I didn’t have at least something to do or look forward to. My mind was no longer plagued by doubts and worries that my life was going to fall into a droll sort of monotony. 

I traced my hand over the side of my neck, where Laurence would have to bite to bond me. The thought of it made me warm. A bond wasn’t needed for us to have what we had. Betas couldn’t bond their partners, but their love was genuine, sometimes even more genuine because their instincts didn’t confuse their emotions.

Bonding was something I wanted though. I wanted that connection, the feel that Laurence and I were connected in a way that made us inseparable. We’d finally stop getting looks and questions about why we never bonded and maybe he’d be even easier to understand. Every omega I talked to who bonded with their alpha said it made talking even easier. It would be a whole part of Laurence that only I would have access too. 

It was an intoxicating thought.

Yes, I was ready to be bonded, but how was I supposed to tell him that? It felt too serious to mention casually but making a big deal out of it felt silly too. Then again, did it really matter? No matter how his teeth found my neck and bonded me, the result would be the same. It wasn’t worth worrying about.

I curled back into Laurence’s chest and shut my eyes. Tomorrow, I’d tell him. Whenever I felt like the time was right. This time, I’d allow him to take the lead on it too. It’d be easier that way and I was sure that Laurence had thought about this moment for far longer than I ever had. 

My choice made, sleep came to once me again.

***

“I want you to bone me.”

Laurence choked on his water and spit it all over the table, coughing violently and holding his chest. I rushed to his side and patted his back. I’d expected a strong reaction, but nothing like that.

“Please say that again, I need to make sure I’m not hearing things,” Laurence said once his coughing fit was finished.

I laughed. “You can bond me. I’m ready.”

“You’re- Celeste,” he said in disbelief. He stood up and drew me into his arms. “You mean it?”

“God yes Laurence. How many times do I-”

He interrupted me with a kiss, but I didn’t mind. It was short and sweet but full of passion and love. He pulled away and placed one of his hands on my shoulder while his other stroked over the spot on my neck where he’d bond me. “When? Do yo- are you saying you want to bond right now?” he asked. 

“It’s up to you. You have the lead alpha,” I replied, looking at him from under my lashes.

His eyes flashed with interest and he took a deep breath. His cheeks puffed out and I couldn’t help but giggle. I wished I could somehow capture this moment somewhere more permanent than in my mind. It was a shame the only way to record things was in one’s own mind.

“Now is good. We can do now,” he said, finding his voice. He looked calmer now, but there was a spark of hunger in his eyes. It didn’t scare me to see. It just made my skin feel hotter. “Meet me in your room. I’m going to tell the others not to bother us.”

My cheeks flared with heat. The others were aware of our my and Laurence’s relationship, but having Laurence walk up and tell him we were about to bond was a different story. Sure, he wouldn’t use that exact verbiage, but it didn’t take a genius to connect the dots and figure out what was about to happen. Nonetheless, I’d rather he tells them than not. Getting interrupted in the middle of something like that was more horrifying than the confession itself. 

“Make it quick,” I said, leaning forward and giving him a quick peck on the lips. He tried to turn it into something more, but I slipped out of his arms and darted out of the dining room before he could. The instinct to chase me his playful mate must have been nearly overwhelming. When he got up to the stairs, he was going to be even more worked up. It was the ultimate tease and I couldn’t have been happier I pulled it off.

Halfway up the stairs, another devious idea struck me. I pulled off my dress and left it behind in on the stairs. At the top, I dropped my brassiere to the floor. Then, right in front of my room, I pulled off my panties and left t them in front of the door, before stepping inside and closing it. My heart pounded with nervousness, but I was excited to. The omegas I’d met had told me about how good bonding felt. The ecstasy that followed their mate’s teeth found their neck. I couldn’t wait to experience it myself.

I laid on the bed and spread my legs wide, displaying myself so when Laurence walked through the door he’d be caught in my snare. It was embarrassing and I felt like my face and neck had turned permanently red, but it was easy to ignore my embarrassment when I ran my fingers over my folds. 

I began rubbing gently, working myself up and teasing my clit out of where it hid, but still avoided brushing over it directly. If I touched it directly, then I wouldn’t be able to stop. I’d make myself cum before Laurence even walked through the door. It wasn’t a bad idea, it’d be fun to tease Laurence like that, but I didn’t want that now. I wanted him to be the one to push me over the edge.

My fingers began to rub faster and faster, but I refused to close my eyes. I wanted to see the look on Laurence’s face when he entered. I needed to see what he’d do. Would he sit back and watch? Admire me like he’d done so many times before? Or would he lunge forward and give us what we both knew we needed? Both options had me shuddering.

The sound of footsteps growing closer broke me out of my fantasy, but I didn’t stop touching myself. This was it. The big reveal.

The door opened. 

“Celeste,” Laurence choked out, his eyes widening in shock.

“Yes?”

The door slammed shut and he was on my instantly, claiming my lips for his own and pinning me down with his massive body. His lips pressed against mine, but it was too hungry, too messy to be called a kiss. It was more like he was devouring me. I tore at his clothes, getting as much of him as bare as I was right now. He refused to make it easy. Every time I was close to getting something off, he’d shift around and force me to lose my grip.

“Laurence, god alpha stop teasing,” I begged.

“Teasing?” he whispered in my ear. “You want to talk about teasing?”

“Alpha, please! Bond me!” I cried, ignoring his words.

He growled and he sat still so I could take off his clothes. I ran my hands over his skin, feeling its roughness and relishing in his strength. I needed him so bad right now, that it felt like I was back in heat.

“Roll over. I want you on your stomach,” he commanded, backing off to give me space.

I obeyed without another thought and lowered my chest to the bed, then thrust my ass as high in the air as I could. I wiggled it back and forth, but a sharp, stinging slap to it froze me in place.

“You said you’d let me take the lead, didn’t you?” he asked, running a hand over where he’d just spanked me. I pushed back into the touch, but another slap stopped me again. “Be a good omega and hold still for me,” he purred.

I whined my disapproval but did my best to obey. He kneaded my ass, grabbing it handfuls and occasionally delivering another spank. Each one drew a yelp from my throat, but they didn’t hurt so much as they felt good. Each time he struck me, the heat inside of me flared, and more slick dripped out of my needy cunt. It was humiliating, but that feeling only added to the mess of heat within me.

“God you’re wet,” he said, pushing a finger into my pussy, but not moving at all. I moaned in frustration but managed not to keep still. “Good omega. You’re learning,” he praised.

All my will to fight and resist left when he started speaking like that. His words were like a physical touch, reaching inside me, and scratching an itch that I never could. I’d do whatever he told me if it meant he kept talking like that.

He pushed another finger inside of me, then slowly pumped them in and out. I pushed my head into the mattress and tried to muffle all the embarrassing noises I was making, but Laurence would have none of it. His hand gripped the back of my neck and he pulled my head away from the bed so I could no longer hide.

“I want to hear you, darling. You don’t have to be embarrassed by how you sound when I’m making you feel good. I want to hear it. I love all of your noises.”

“God Laurence, please. Please take me, fuck me, bond me!” I shouted, unable to stop myself from moving anymore. I pressed my hips back against his fingers to press them deeper and almost scream when they brushed against my sweet spot.

“Have you been good? Do you deserve it?” he teased.

I knew what he wanted to hear, and I was too strung out to deny him it. “Please alpha. I’ve been good. Give me your knot. I need it so bad,” I moaned.

Laurence growled behind me and his fingers retreated, leaving me empty and wanting. I started to whine, but then his cock lining up with my entrance and silenced my complaints. He teased continued teasing me for an agonizing few second, rubbing the head of his dick over my clit and everywhere else, before he finally pushed in.

My body went limp and I clawed at the sheets. There was nothing I could except press back against him and hope he’d give me more. I wasn’t sure how much it could get better.

Then he started moving.

My whole world reduced down to the feel of his cock thrusting in and out of me and I let myself become lost in the rhythm. His growls and deep moans matched well with my own high whines and keens. It was a lewd melody, but there was nothing I would’ve rather listened to. 

“Bite,” I slurred, finding it near impossible to form words. “Mark me alpha.”

He gripped my hips tighter and pulled me back, so I was on his lap, my back pressed against his chest and his cock buried deep inside of me. His teeth found my throat and he started biting and kissing possessively covering my skin in the first of many bruises. I reached back and pulled at his hair, desperate for more. 

“God you’re gorgeous,” he said. A hand found one of my toyed with it, pinching and tugging at my nipple all while his cock continued to shift around inside of me. “You look so good like this. You have no idea how amazing you are Celeste. You’re such a good omega. I love you so much.”

A shocked gasp burst out of me followed by a blooming warmth deep in my chest. My alpha loved me. He actually loved me. Tears sprung up to my eyes and I couldn’t stop them from falling. He’d never said that before, we’d never even gotten close, but I knew that he meant it. Laurence was nothing if not honest.

“Celeste?” he asked concerned. He cupped my jaw with his hand and tilted my head to the side so he could look at me in the eyes. “Are you okay.”

“Don’t stop,” I moaned. “God I’m fine…I- please don’t stop. Please bond me. I want you so bad. I never want to leave.”

He started moving again, but some of the urgency before was gone. His bites and kisses on my neck became longer and gentler, while still leaving the marks I so desperately craved. I leaned back into him and let him have control, trusting him to give me what I needed, to take care of me.

“I’m close,” he mumbled. “Gonna knot you and bond you when I cum. Gonna fill you up so good omega.”

I nodded, too weak for words. All I could think about was my own impending orgasm. I just needed a bit more to fall off that edge. Laurence lifted my hips and I went with the motion, then pressed myself back down on his cock. He helped me bounce until I found the perfect frantic pace I’ was looking for. I sunk my nails into his biceps and kept riding him with all my remaining strength.

“I’m close,” he said, his teeth across that spot on my neck. “Ready?”

“Yes!” I wailed letting my head flop back on his shoulder. I turned my head and found the spot where I was going to bond him too. I laid a heavy kiss on it then grazed it the barest hint of teeth.

It was enough.

He slammed into a final time and his knot expanded, filling me up while spurts of his hot cum began to fill me. I felt his mouth open wide and then he bit down hard on my neck.

I did the same to him.

We both became undone.

I could feel his own pleasure stacking up on top of my own through our new bond. I bit in harder, wanting to make my mark deep, and was rewarded with even more of the feeling. It was like we melded into one being of pleasure and ecstasy and everything good in life. I’d entered a realm of pure sweet bliss.

My orgasm went on for what seemed like days, but I wouldn’t have minded if it lasted my entire life. The feel of Laurence’s knot buried in my cunt, his teeth in my neck, and his strong arms around me, were the best and most important things in the world. There was nothing else that could’ve compared. It was as close to perfection as I’d ever achieve.

The feeling faded slowly, and I was brought back into my body bit by bit. Even when I felt I was only myself again, my awareness of Laurence didn’t fade. I had a sixth sense for him now. There were feelings inside of me that weren’t mine. Sorting through them right not was a herculean task. I could do it later when I wasn’t so blissed out and could actually think

Laurence’s hands started to move again, but his touch was now reverent instead of hungry. He rubbed my shoulders and back, pressing against all the bruises he left on me like he couldn’t believe he was the one who did it.

“We’re bonded,” he whispered to himself. “I can’t believe we’re bonded.”

I smiled. He sounded like a kid at Christmas. 

“I can feel you inside of me. You’re in my head,” he continued. “I can feel you. Oh God Celeste, I love you so much.”

This time, the admission seemed even more real. His words were naked and vulnerable, like a long-kept secret. I wished I could cradle the words close to my chest and never let them go.

“I love you too,” I said.

He leaned down and kissed me again.


End file.
